Blinded by the Light
by Neoshipper
Summary: **UPDATE: 7/9** A freak accident robs Rikku of everything she's come to know. Auron/Rikku (Yes! I finally found a summary to fit ^-^)
1. Chapter One

AN: Damn, I have too many random story ideas. And they all come in waves. Not one at a time, all at once _

Summary: Auron/Rikku. Takes place during while they're going through the Thunder Planes. 

~*^-^*~

Rikku whimpered as the group approached the Thunder Plane. She hid behind the rest of the group, trying to hide her uneasiness. Tremors traveled down her body as she watched the lightning strike the ground. 

"Rikku?"

"Eek!"

Startled out of her reverie, she faced Auron. He looked at her with his normal neutral expression. 

"Are you coming?"

"Y-yeah! I'm coming!"

She forced a shaky smile and scampered up close to the group. Shuddering, she took nervous glances around her as she passed. A particular bolt of lightning struck close to the group and caught Rikku off guard. She screamed and latched onto the nearest person next to her. Auron. She shivered and buried her face in his oversized red coat. Somehow, it brought her comfort. 

"Rikku? Are you going to let go any time soon?"

Auron asked dryly. Rikku reluctantly pried herself off his coat and looked up. She offered a half smile and separated herself from the group slightly. 

"Rikku, the lightning isn't going to hurt you."

She turned to glare at Auron. What was with him today? He seemed more, uptight then he normally was. 

"How would you know?"

She huffed and crossed her arms across her chest. He had no idea what she had been through. She decided it was best to ignore him. Another bolt streaked across the field and landed inches away from her toes. She shrieked and sunk to the ground, head buried between her knees and hands over her head. She heard an amused chuckle and her head shot up. 

"What's so funny?"

She demanded. Auron said nothing, but his chuckling ceased. Rikku hopped up and stood on her toes. It was obvious to everyone she was trying to size Auron up. Tidus and Wakka chuckled slightly. 

"If you're going to have this petty fear, then you shouldn't be a guardian."

Auron stated calmly. Rikku's eyes widened in shock and anger. Even Yuna and the others were surprised by Auron's choice of words. 

"I hate you!"

She brushed past the group and sprinted forward, ignoring the lightning that streaked past her. She knew she was acting childish, but she wouldn't bring herself to go back to them. So caught up in her thoughts, she didn't notice that she had strayed from the safety of the towers. 

"Rikku! Watch out!"

She ignored them and kept walking. Before she knew what was happening, pain shot through her. She was dimly aware of the familiar shocking sensation that raced through her body. She had been hit. Stumbling, she fell backwards and tumbled off the side of the road. She could faintly hear her friends' worried cries before her head slammed into a rock and she lost consciousness. 

~*^-^*~

AN: Tell me if I should continue! I have an idea of what I'm going to do for the next chapter. Read and Review Please


	2. Chapter Two

AN: Next part! ^-^ Now, this is where the title comes into play…

I honestly didn't expect any reviews ^-^ Glad you like it so far. 

….^-^: I'm liking your idea ^-^ Mebbe she will have amnesia ^-^ You'll just hafta read and find out. 

Tidus's Lil Angel: I only just got hooked on Aurikku's ^-^ They're quite addicting.

No Name: As you can see, I'm not abandoning this fic ^-^

Rinoa Redcloak: Really? I honestly have not read one in the direction I'm heading in. I'm terribly sorry if I am! I'm trying to steer it away from the others I read! I hope I don't disappoint you!

Yukito: Thanks, will do!

Selph: I got you hooked? Good! ::evil laughter:: ^-^ 

Chika: Thanks, I'm working hard to make this a long Aurikku and make it original. 

Kiku-chan: Thanks! Aurikkus can be very addicting ^-^

Cera: Thanks ^-^ wow, many thanks in this review. ^-^ 

~*^-^*~

She moaned. Where was she? _Who _was she? The last thing the girl could remember was a flash of pain. And then…and then, what? She kept her eyes closed tightly. She felt…funny. She heard the rustling of fabric to her side and turned her head. Big mistake. She whimpered as she felt a sharp pain shoot up the right side of her head. 

"Rikku?"

She heard a soft voice speak up. Slowly, she opened her eyes. A young woman with brown hair sat in front of her. 

"Who…are you?"

She asked uncertainly, sitting up in the bed. She watched the other girls' eyes widen in shock. It was then she noticed that one eye was blue and one was green.

"Rikku? It's me, Yuna."

"Then, am I…Rikku?"

"Oh God."

Yuna stood abruptly, her hand shaking. Rikku didn't remember anything. Rikku watched as Yuna paced, slightly confused by the action. 

"Yuna?"

Rikku shifted so she was kneeling on the bed. She leaned over, ignoring her injuries, and looked closely at the young summoner.

"Hey, are you…okay?"

"I'll be right back."

Yuna said softly before hurrying out of the room. Rikku blinked and sat back. What had just happened?

~*^-^*~

Yuna fought back tears as she hurried down the hallway. Not noticing where she was going, she ran head on into someone. 

"Oh, I'm so sorry…Tidus!?"

Yuna looked up at the man who was currently rubbing his head. He looked up and grinned. 

"Oh, hey Yuna. I was just coming to see how Rikku was."

Yuna frowned and looked at the floorboards. 

"Yuna? You okay?"

Tidus placed an arm on her shoulder. She sniffled and shook her head. How could she be okay? 

"Rikku…she…"

"She what?"

"She doesn't know who I am! She doesn't even know who she is!"

Tidus stared at Yuna in silent shock. Slowly, he took her arm and led her away. She looked him in the eye, and then nodded in silent agreement. They had to tell Auron. 

~*^-^*~

Rikku stared idly at the white ceiling. The throbbing in her head had dulled slightly, but no sparks of memories came to her. She sighed and rolled on her side, her back facing the door. 

"What's wrong with me? Why can't I remember?"

She whispered to herself and traced small circles on the comforter. So wrapped up in her own thoughts, she didn't realize the door had opened behind her.

~*^-^*~

Auron sat in a dark corner of the Inn, his sake bottle gripped firmly in his hand. He tipped his head back and took a swig, then swished it around his mouth before swallowing. Groaning, he closed his eye and leaned his head back against the cool wall. He had to do something to keep his mind away from _her_. 

Was he feeling guilty? Maybe a little, not that he'd ever admit it. He heard the footsteps even before they reached him. He kept his eye shut, waiting for them to come to a halt before him. 

"Sir Auron?"

He opened his eye and gazed up at Yuna and Tidus. The young summoner looked worried, he noticed. Not that she shouldn't be, knowing her cousin had been hit. He said nothing, but nodded his head in silent acknowledgement. She hesitated before speaking. 

"Rikku…she…woke up."

"And that's bad?"

He raised an eyebrow. He couldn't see why she was telling him this. Tidus stepped forward and slipped his hand in hers', silently encouraging her. 

"She doesn't remember anything."

"About being struck?"

Auron couldn't see why she wasn't coming right out and saying the truth. 

"No, I mean…everything. She didn't even know her name was Rikku. She didn't know…who I was."

Yuna bowed her head, her bangs covering her eyes. Tidus wrapped an arm around her shoulder and murmured something in her ear. 

Since they were busy, they didn't see that Auron had tensed. He said nothing and stood, brushing past the couple. He heard Tidus call out to him but ignored it. He passed Lulu, Wakka, and Kimahri, all of who gave him curious glances. He ignored them too and continued forward. He stopped in front of a door. Without knocking, he opened it.

~*^-^*~

AN: ::yawn:: It's late. Not that I'll actually go to bed. I'll probably end up playing Final Fantasy…either VII or X….haven't decided yet ^-^ I'd play VIII but my disc is scratched ant it freezes _ ::coughs:: Anyway, how was it? '…^-^' I took your idea, as you can see, and I give full credit to you. I was originally just going to have her blind, but I'm writing up another story where she goes blind. (No, she does not get struck by lightning again ^-^;;) 

Read and Review Please! And then I promise I'll make the next chappy longer!


	3. Chapter Three

AN: Well, here I am, up late and updating ^-^;; But your reviews really helped me to write more ^-^

Okay, why I haven't updated in FOREVER: I'm forbidden to use my computer o.o Yes, forbidden. Ya see, every time I use the Internet, something breaks. Seriously XP. Sooo, I type these on my own (no Internet connection in my room XP) computer and I'm updating at school XD Well, it's better than no updates. ::pouts:: 

Please keep all your reviews coming because I read every one and It helps keep me motivated ^-^ Last time I checked, I had about 30+ reviews on this story and I was very happy ^-^ (and upset that I can't update and you've all been waiting sooo long!!!) 

Gomen! Well, better late than never, ne? Read and Review please! 

~*^-^*~

Auron watched Rikku silently. Her back was to him, so she couldn't see. He quietly shut the door and just watched her. She was still oblivious to his presence, and continued to mumbled to herself. 

Deciding that it was best to make his presence known, he cleared his throat. Rikku jumped, obviously startled. She rolled over onto her stomach and faced him, eyes wide. 

"W-who are you?" She squeaked and shrunk back into the headboard. Inside, Auron felt a small pang of hurt. Outside, he said nothing, regarding her neutrally. He took a step forward, causing Rikku to press her back further into the headboard. 

"That is not important. What do you remember?" He sat down in the chair Yuna had been sitting in. Rikku eyes him wearily, not sure if she should trust the older man or not. Sensing her uneasiness, he spoke. 

"Yuna sent me."

"…Oh, okay." She smiled and sat up, watching him curiously and waiting for him to speak.

"What do you remember?" He repeated the same phrase from before. Rikku leaned back and scratched the uninjured side of her head. She frowned.

"I…don't know. I remember…pain…and then…I'm sorry." She sighed and bowed her head, her bangs shielding her eyes from view. Auron didn't know why she was apologizing, but he said nothing. 

"Can you…tell me?"

"What happened?"

"Yea, and…who I am? How I know all of you? You know?" Her eyes held a desperate tone in them and it was hard for Auron to refuse. He rose from his seat and walked silently towards the door. He could feel Rikku's eyes follow him as he placed a hand on the handle. 

"Yuna should be the one to tell you."

~*^-^*~

Rikku sighed and fell back on the bed. Forgetting how close she was to the headboard, she smacked her head into it. (AN: And this is the end of the fic because she was hit hard enough and she remembered everything! ^-^ I think you'd all kill me if I did that XD)

"Ow!"

"That's how this whole mess got started!" Rikku looked towards the door. Yuna stood before her, giggling lightly. Rikku pouted. She did not find this amusing. 

"What do you mean? Can you tell me about…everything? Who I am, I mean."

Yuna nodded and sat on the edge of the bed. Rikku smiled and crawled over, sitting next to her cousin. 

"Who you are? Well, You're name is Rikku. You're Al Bhed…Umm…you're my cousin…"

"Really? I'm related to you?" Rikku's eyes shone happily as she hugged Yuna's arm. Yuna smiled. It was something the old Rikku would have done. She nodded before continuing. 

"You're joining me on my pilgrimage to defeat Sin. You're one of my guardians."

"Y-you're a summoner!?" Rikku shrank back, eyes wide. Yuna smiled sadly and nodded. 

"So you know all about summoners and Sin then?"

"Uh huh." Rikku curled into a ball. Even though she hadn't known Yuna long, she didn't want to think about the fact that Yuna would die. One of the few things she remembered was her principals. 

"What happened…to make me forget?" Rikku unconsciously rubbed the sore spot of her head. Yuna sighed and looked out the small window near Rikku's bed. The lightning was still flashing wildly, seeing as they were still in the Thunder Plains. 

"You…were struck by lightning. And you hit your head on a rock."

"A rock? A rock caused all this?" Rikku shook her head, slightly amused. Yuna said nothing and continued to stare out the window. 

"What about…that guy?"

"Guy? Oh! You mean Sir Auron? He's another one of my guardians. He was also my fathers' years ago." Rikku nodded thoughtfully. She couldn't help but let her thoughts drift back to the man who had come in her room. Neither girls spoke as they both sat, lost in their thoughts.

~*^-^*~

Auron scowled as he leaned against the Inn wall. He was outside, away from everyone else. Why had he run away? Why didn't he tell her what happened? He heard the door open and Tidus stepped out. 

"Auron?"

Auron grunted in response. He didn't feel like company now. Tidus didn't take the hint and leaned next to him. 

"What…are we going to do about Rikku? Can she still come with us?"

"…" Auron said nothing as he thought about what the young boy had just said. Would she be able to travel with them? 

"Auron?"

"I don't know." He answered truthfully. He didn't know what she knew and didn't. She might not even know how to fight anymore, he realized. Tidus frowned and silently stepped back inside, seeing as Auron was not going to talk much. Auron didn't protest. 

He couldn't describe what he was feeling right then. It was a small pang in his chest, just like earlier. He brushed it aside. He had more important things to think about. Like the pilgrimage. The door opened again and someone stepped out. 

"I said I don't know, Tidus."

"Don't know what?"

Auron tensed. Slowly, he turned his head towards the young Al Bhed standing next to him. 

"Nothing."

"Oh." Rikku sank to the ground next to Auron, wrapping her arms around her knees and drawing them to her chest. He watched her out of the corner of his good eye. Her hair was up in its' trademark do, and she was wearing her normal clothes. The only things that pointed out she wasn't herself was the small singe on her shirt, the bruise on the side of her head, and her memory loss. 

"Where are you going after this?" Rikku asked softly, craning her head back to look up at the stiff guardian. He said nothing for a few minutes. 

"To finish Yuna's pilgrimage."

"…Are you…going to leave me here?" Her voice was soft and shaky; barely audible over the crackling of lightning. But Auron heard it. He opened his mouth to speak, but quickly snapped it shut. He didn't know what to say. 

"Please, don't leave me!" Rikku jumped up and threw her arms around Auron. For a second time, his eye went wide. Rikku buried her head into his coat and pressed herself up against him. She was crying softly, just the thought of being left behind too much. Auron hesitated before pulling his arm completely out of his sleeve and wrapping it around the young girls' shoulders. It was awkward and uncomfortable, but Auron couldn't make himself let go. 

"Auron? We're getting ready to leave now." Lulu came peeked her head out the door. She raised an eyebrow at the two guardians locked in an embrace, but said nothing and went back inside after seeing Auron nod. Rikku pulled back slowly, and her eyes were amazingly dry for someone who had just been crying. 

"I'm afraid to be alone. Please, don't leave me." Although she had pulled back, her hand held a white-knuckled grip on his coat. He gently pried her fingers off and smoothed the fabric out. She stood before him, hands clasped in front of her chest. 

"If you think you can still handle fighting, you can continue with us." Auron turned to go meet the rest of the group, but not before catching the look of joy on Rikku's face. 

"Thank you! Thank you so much!" Rikku latched onto Auron's arm, much to his shock, and pulled him inside. Wakka, Lulu, Khimari, Tidus, and Yuna waited inside. 

"Shall we go?" Yuna motioned towards the door and waited until everyone left except her, Auron, and Rikku. 

"Rikku, are you sure you'll be okay?" She placed a hand on her cousins' arm. Rikku nodded happily. Yuna glanced at Auron and giggled. He didn't look very happy, but then again, he didn't look like he minded much either. She waved at them to follow before hurrying out the door. 

"Do you mind letting go?" Auron glanced down at Rikku, who still clung to his arm. She looked up, blushed, and nodded, before slowly pulling away and wrapping her arms around her waist. Auron did his best to ignore her look of helplessness and walked out. Rikku followed slowly. 

~*^-^*~

            The road out of the Thunder Planes was filled with monsters. Rikku opted to sit out the first few battles, watching every spell Lulu cast, every blade Auron swung, and every Aeon Yuna summoned. Finally, when the group had run into Qactuar, a rare find, Rikku switched in with Yuna. 

            "I'm ready to do this!" She crouched over slightly, arms hanging loose and ready to steal anything she could. Auron stood on one side and Tidus stood on the other. 

            "Rikku, this isn't like those other monsters." Tidus glanced over at Rikku, who seemed oblivious to anything he was saying. Rikku waved him off and sprinted forward. 

            "Is she crazy?" Wakka muttered from somewhere off to the side. Rikku lashed her hand out, trying to steal anything, but came back empty-handed. She frowned and bit her lip. The Qactuar stared back at her, before slowly leaning over. 

            "Rikku! Watch out!" Yuna yelled as she switched in with Tidus. The Qactuar had stopped now, and Rikku's eyes widened as thousands of tiny needles flew out her. She screamed and hid her face behind her hands. A couple sliced her cheek before she felt someone tackle her to the ground, just out of range of the attack. 

            Auron and Rikku rolled, the force of Auron's dive roll enough to send them flying off the battle field. Yuna ran away, hurrying towards her two fallen guardians. Rikku lay panting underneath Auron. Her heart thudded rapidly in her chest and her cheek stung. Auron's full length was pressed against her, pinning her to the rocky ground. Luckily, lightning decided not to strike right away. 

            "Are you all right?" Auron pushed himself up into a hald pushup position. His arm, which normally hung out of its' sleeve, was all the way out and braced on one side of her head. Rikku nodded breathlessly, trying to ignore the fact that his face was a mere inch or two from hers'. She could feel his breath, slightly sake tainted, on her cheek. She gulped. 

            "Rikku! Sir Auron! Are you okay?" Yuna stumbled over a rock and hurried over to them. Auron grunted gruffly and climbed to his feet. Rikku, still slightly dazed, sat up. She jumped when a gloved hand was offered to her. 

            "T-thanks." She let out a shaky breath and took Auron's hand, letting him pull her effortlessly to her feet. She brushed off her shorts and went slowly to join the group. 

            "You could have gotten both you and Auron killed, what were you thinking!?" Tidus raised his hands, exasperated. He wasn't mad, exactly. Just a little….stressed. Rikku winced and distanced herself slightly from everyone. 

            "I'm sorry." She mumbled and looked at the ground. Auron, safely hidden behind his glasses and collar, sneaked a look (AN: English teaches me nothing. Is this correct?

^-^;;)  at Rikku. She acted the same as if she had all her memories, he realized. Reckless and always racing into things.

            "Just don't do it again." Auron picked a few spines out of his coat and glanced back at Rikku. Everyone else had started forward, the exit within sight. There were a few red scratches on her cheek, but there was one spine sticking out that she didn't seem to be aware of. 

            "You have a spine in your cheek." Auron watched her look up, startled. She carefully brushed a palm across her cheek and winced.        

            "I'm a little squeamish, can you help me?" She took a step closer, closing her eyes tight. Auron felt a chuckle threaten to erupt and fought it down. She seriously didn't like the thought of pulling a spine out. 

            "Hold still." He leaned in and with his glove-less hand, gently pulled the needle out. She winced, then opened her eyes and stared at the pin in Auron's hand. 

            "Thanks!" She seemed back to her normal self, he realized. Before he could turn to go follow Yuna, Rikku jumped up, pulled his collar down, and kissed him quickly on his cheek. Stubble brushed her chin as she pulled back and grinned at him before running off to catch up with the others. Auron stared after her, his face carefully blank. He shrugged away the feeling in his chest and took steady strides to catch up with the rest of the group. 

~*^-^*~

AN: Pretty long chappy, if I do say so myself ^-^ What do ya think? Good? Bad? It needs work ^-^;; Again, thanks for all the reviews, and I'm open to any ideas you might have to help improve the story line, since my imagination is running a little dry ^-^;;

If you have any suggestions or ideas, please email me! (tasukixmiaka@yahoo.com)

~*Neoshipper*~  


	4. Chapter Four

AN: Next chappy! Since it's a snow day and there's no school ::jumps up and down:: (Yay!) I figured it would be good to update now on one of my many days home from school/cheerleading/work/pit practice XD. Yupp, very busy. Anyway, I got a great suggestion from one of my reviewers (Pierson) which I plan to use when I can fit it in ^-~  
  
Enjoy!

UPDATED: I'm fixing this horrid spacing problem once and for all! (Spazkit it isn't you're ADD talking ^-^).  
  
~*^-^*~  
  
Rikku gasped in awe as a red butterfly floated right in front of her face. She had just reached a hand out to catch it when Auron grabbed her hand. 

"Don't touch the red ones." He mumbled before starting forward again. Rikku frowned and rubbed her wrist before following the group. They had been walking through Macalania for a while now, and the scenery all looked the same to Rikku. 

"Have you decided yet, Yuna?" Tidus' question made Rikku look up. They had stopped in a small clearing to take a quick break. Yuna looked away. 

"Decided what?" Rikku moved next to Tidus and looked at Yuna. No one said anything. Rikku glanced around at each of them, all except Auron avoided her gaze. 

"Ne, Auron? Decided what?" She moved in front of him. Auron didn't particularly like the fact that he had to tell Rikku, but if he didn't, who would? 

"Whether or not to marry the Maester of Yevon." He watched her eyes widen in shock as she spun around to face Yuna. 

"The Maester!? Yuna! You can't!" Rikku grabbed her cousins' hand, but Yuna pulled away. 

"Please, Rikku, we must hurry on." She walked briskly forward, very un-Yuna like. Tidus sighed and ran a hand through his hair. Wakka, Lulu, and Khimari started forward. Rikku sulked quietly. 

"I can't believe she's actually considering it." She muttered and shook her head. By now, only Auron was left with her. 

"If it does not interfere with the pilgrimage, then it does not matter." 

"Don't you care!? Does Yunie really love the Maester!?" Rikku was shouting now, drawing the attention of the group a little farther ahead. Yuna had gasped lightly at the use of the nickname. Maybe part of Rikku's memory was coming back. 

"Love? Do you really think love matters now?" Auron stared over the rim of his glasses at the young Al Bhed. Rikku shifted, uncomfortable under his heavy gaze. 

"Yes, I do." 

Rikku pushed past the guardian and walked forward. The group parted as she marched forward, all afraid to get in the way. When she disappeared from sight, Auron felt all eyes on him. He frowned.

"Sir Auron, Rikku..She's, well.." Yuna sighed softly, unsure of the words she wanted to use. She had just opened her mouth when they heard a scream from farther ahead. 

"Rikku!"

Yuna started running forward, but was surprised when a red coat obscured her view. Her eyes widened and she had to stop short, causing Tidus to run into her back. "Oww! Yuna, what's wrong?" Tidus came up beside her. She shook her head and pointed to Auron, who had rounded the corner, blade out. 

"Wow, he moves fast when Rikku's involved."  
  
~*^-^*~  
  
Rikku screamed as Spherimorph sent a fire spell her way. Heat surrounded her, making her gag and fall to her knees. Her eyes burned and she hunched over, pressing her face against the dirt. As abruptly as the fire came, it stopped. Rikku glanced up, eyes still burning. The blob was suspiciously still. She gasped as it changed colors and it shot a blizzard spell her way. Rikku was clearly not dressed for a blizzard, in a tank top and shorts. She whimpered at the sudden change of temperature, curling into a ball on her side.

"Rikku!" 

She looked up, eyes tearing and stinging, through the snow billowing around her. She could barely make out a tall figure in the distance. 

"Auron?" Her teeth chattered and her body shook. She heard someone cast a spell before she felt herself being swept up and out of harms way. When she could open her eyes, she was looking into Auron's face. She was still shaking as she looked at him through lidded eyes. She whimpered when he moved her off his lap, but he silenced her. She watched, slightly drowsy, as Auron unclasped his coat and slid it off. Rikku's eyes widened slightly as he wrapped it around her and placed her off to the side. 

"Stay here." He picked up his sword and ran to help Tidus and Lulu battle the Spherimorph. Rikku hugged the coat around her, breathing in his scent. She snuggled deeper, closing her eyes. They still hurt, and she wondered briefly exactly how Auron had lost an eye. It didn't take long for her to give into exhaustion and she fell asleep.  
  
~*^-^*~  
  
She was in a large palace hall, long tables of food and servants stretched all the way past her line of vision. She had just picked up a fruit when a voice interrupted her. 

__

'Rikku' 

"Who's there!?" 

She put the fruit down and spun in a circle. She gasped when she felt velvet brush against her bare legs. She was in a dress. It was strapless, and hung a little too low for her liking. The crush black velvet clung to her curves and fanned out only slightly at the bottom. Her hair was pulled into a bun, a few blonde tendrils escaping to frame her face. "W-what is this?" She ran a hand down the velvet of the dress. She looked up and gasped. The hall had disappeared, and she was in a ballroom. Dancing couples twirled around the floor. One man bumped into her and she stumbled clumsily. A hand on her arm caught her. 

"Thank you." She muttered and looked up into a pair of ice blue eyes. Immediately she was captivated. 

"May I have this dance?" He whispered into her ear. She shuddered and nodded, placing a hand in his. He drew her close to him and slowly they began to dance. 

"Rikku, should you really be trusting those guardians and that summoner you travel with?" 

"What?" 

Rikku pulled back and looked up into the mans' face. He smiled slowly and brought his head down until his mouth was right next to her ear. 

"They've been using you, Rikku. Why would they take someone who doesn't remember how to fight with them? They need your knowledge of the Al Bhed and the machina." 

"No! You're lying!" Rikku struggled to pull back from his grasp, but he pulled her against his chest. 

"How did you lose your memory, Rikku?" 

"I..I was struck by lightning and I hit my head on a rock." She nodded confidently. The man grinned. 

"Is that what they told you? I knew you before the accident, Rikku. You didn't want to go through the Thunder Plains. You begged, but they didn't listen." 

Rikku gasped as a brief glimpse of her begging with the guardians and summoner appeared. She begged them to stop, to go another way, but they refused. She was almost left behind. Auron had been the coldest.

"They.didn't care.." Rikku's voice shook. The man smiled and moved closer to her ear. 

"What about when you tried to save Yuna at Moonflow and they attacked you angrily? All you were trying to do was save her, weren't you?" 

"Yes, I was. I wanted to save Yunie." Rikku's eyes were glazed over as she experienced the incident at Moonflow again. Wakka and Tidus had attacked her. Heck, they had almost killed her. 

"They're just using me." She muttered, staring off into the distance. They had stopped dancing, and were in the middle of the dance floor. Slowly, without Rikku's acknowledgment, the music and dancers faded, until the two were the only people present in the extravagant ballroom. 

"Come with me, Rikku. I want to help you." 

"You'll, help me?" Rikku's eyes held a pleading look in them. The man smiled and nodded, gently caressing her cheek. She sighed softly and her eyes fluttered closed. 

"Of course I will Rikku. Wait for me. I will see you soon."  
  
"Rikku! Rikku!"  
  
~*^-^*~  
  
Rikku moaned and slowly opened her eyes. They hurt, and she immediately closed them. She heard Yuna mumble something before a soft tinkling power rushed over her. Slowly, her eyes felt better and her burns were fading. She sighed with relief and opened her eyes again. Tidus and Yuna were staring down at her, concern written all over their face. She almost smiled before she remembered her dream.

"Let me up." She grumbled and forced herself into a sitting position. Tidus and Yuna moved back slowly, but someone kept hands on her shoulders, keeping her from moving any farther. 

"What are you doing?" She turned to glare at Auron. His coat had fallen off her shoulders now, and she fought the urge to wrap it back around her. Slowly, Auron let her go, and Rikku stood, brushing dirt off her shorts. She felt everyone stare at her, and she felt an aching pain in her chest. Was that man right? Yes, he had to be. 

"Rikku? Are you all right?" Tidus placed a hand on her shoulder and she hit it away. 

"I'm fine. Let's go." She started forward alone once again. Yuna looked after her, worried. 

"Something's not right." Lulu's eyes narrowed as she watched Rikku stalk off. She shook her head and followed after her.

"Sir Auron? What's wrong with Rikku?" Yuna looked at her elder guardian, who was shaking out his coat and slipping it back on. 

"I don't know. Let's go." He brushed past Yuna and Tidus and started off after everyone else. He watched Rikku from his place near the back and frowned. Just her posture was enough to know something was wrong. Her eyes were dull and cautious, scanning the area as she walked forward. So wrapped up in his thoughts, he didn't realize that they had come to an inn. 

He watched Rikku walk to the front desk and argue with the clerk for a minute before coming back. 

"Yuna and Lulu, you'll share a room, and Auron, Khimari, Wakka, and Tidus, you'll share another." 

"What about you, Rikku?" Tidus asked what nobody else would. Rikku shook her head and turned to leave the inn. 

"I don't need to sleep. I'm going for a walk." She waved a hand and left, leaving everyone staring after her. 

"What was that all about? It's like she's mad at us or something, ya?" Wakka, keeping his Blitz ball tucked under one arm, scratched his head. A low rumbling outside somewhere in the distance shook the small inn. Yuna stumbled but Tidus caught her. She blushed and thanked him. 

"Khimari doesn't like that sound." The large blue Ronso gripped his spear tightly. Tidus raced out the door, the others following closely behind. Rikku was conversing with a young man in a large machine. When they approached, they realized that the two were in a heated Al Bhed conversation. Rikku was clenching her fists and snapping angrily. The young man was angry, but not as much as Rikku. 

When she turned around, Rikku caught the look of horror and disgust on Wakka's face. 

"Y-You're Al Bhed!" He pointed his finger accusingly at her. Rikku nodded curtly. Wakka gritted his teeth. Rikku let out a small gasp and fell to her knees, hands clutching her head. A memory that had been buried surfaced. Wakka stood before the group, practically cursing and damming all Al Bhed. Rikku, then, had kept her mouth shut. 

"Rikku?" Yuna squatted before her cousin. Rikku's head snapped up and she staggered to her feet. 

"Don't touch me." 

She hugged herself and watched the group wearily. They stared at her in confusion. A sudden noise from behind them made them all turn their attention to the giant machina. Rikku spat something at the driver before backing up and preparing to fight. Auron and Tidus stood beside her, the rest of the party running off to the side. This was going to be a long battle.  
  
~*^-^*~  
  
Rikku panted, hunched over. The Crawler was almost indestructible. Almost. Every time the Negator was taken down, the mana beam countdown began, and Rikku almost always found herself getting the worst of the attack. A potion was thrown to her and she glanced up. Tidus smiled and gave her a thumbs up. Unwillingly, she found herself smiling back. 

"Let's finish this thing." Rikku switched out with Lulu and let the trio finish off the machina. She watched emotionlessly as it broke down. The Al Bhed ran out, but not before glaring at her. She ignored him. 

"I can't believe you." Wakka just glared at the young Al Bhed. Rikku said nothing. Surely Wakka's hate for Al Bhed was proof enough that the man in her dream was right. "It's too late to head to the shrine now, we'll go back to the inn and rest. We'll start first thing tomorrow." Lulu instructed, leading them back towards the small inn. Rikku followed reluctantly, but not before glancing at the rubble the Crawler had once been. "Brother." She whispered before turning and walking away. Auron watched her carefully, then followed.  
  
(AN: Just pretend they got a night's rest at the inn before going to the temple.)  
  
~*^-^*~  
  
Rikku fought to keep her eyes open. She was sitting on the floor in the inn lobby, back pressed against a wall in the corner. Her eyelids dropped and she pinched herself. Heavy footsteps coming closer alerted her that someone was coming. She quickly jumped up, but stumbled, legs still asleep. The person who entered caught her. 

"Thanks." 

Rikku pulled back and her eyes widened. Auron's face showed nothing as he moved towards the inn door. 

"What are you doing up?"

"I could ask you the same thing." Auron turned to look at her. Rikku's eyes narrowed and she huffed, turning away. Auron chuckled softly and opened the door, stepping outside. Rikku blinked. As far as she knew, Auron never chuckled. Or showed much of anything for that matter. She shook her head and sunk back to the floor. She didn't need sleep. Not even a little.  
  
~*^-^*~  
  
"C'mon Rikku, what's wrong?" Tidus shifted his sword and looked at the young Al Bhed. Rikku quickened her pace to get away. She had fallen asleep, that's what was wrong. She was about to open her mouth and yell at Tidus for annoying her, but Lulu spoke first. 

"We're here. Stop bickering." She pushed past them and started up the ice temple stairs. Rikku frowned before following. She was about to go through the doors when she froze. A voice called out to her. 

__

'Rikku, I am waiting for you. Come to me' 

"He's here." She breathed, her heart racing happily. Auron stopped behind her, waiting for her to move. 

"Who's here?" Tidus popped up beside her again. Rikku didn't say anything, but she continued her walk. She could feel him. Soon, she would be saved. 

"The Maester is in the cloister of trials." One of the guards near the stairs told the group. Rikku felt her heart quicken again as they entered the cloister of trials.  
  
(AN: I don't remember if you go into the cloister of trials before or after the meeting with the Maester! @_@ I think they meet him first.. ^-^;;)  
  
"Ahhh, welcome Lady Yuna. I did not expect you so soon." Seymour smiled at the summoner. The guardians all seemed tense. All except Rikku. 

"It's you!" 

Her sudden outburst and the adoration in her voice made everyone turn to face her. Seymour's eyes met hers' and he grinned. 

"Welcome, Rikku, I've been expecting you."  
  
~*^-^*~  
  
AN: Ahhh, I love being evil! ^-^ I would like to thank and give full credit to Andrew Elstob for giving me the idea of "Rikku thinking everyone betrayed her" ^-~ I have some nice ideas now to continue the story, but if anyone else had suggestions, I'm open to ideas!  
  
Read and Review Please!  
  
~Neoshipper~ 


	5. Chapter Five

AN: I have too much free time XP only cause I have no school and I don't have to work today cause there's so much snow ^-^ It's up to my knees, and lemme tell ya, I'm 5"8 ¼ and I have long legs XD Okay now that I've babbled enough, here's the next chapter of Blinded by the Light. I'm only doing two updates in a row cause I got a lotta reviews about people threatening me XD  
  
So keep up the reviews/threats and you'll get another update soon.  
  
Disclaimer: I don't own Final Fantasy X.  
  
~*^-^*~  
  
"Welcome Rikku, I've been expecting you." Seymour held his hand out towards her. Yuna gasped and looked from Seymour, then back to Rikku. 

"Rikku?" 

Tidus stepped forward but didn't touch her. She only had eyes for the Maester in front of her. 

"Come, Rikku. I told you I'd protect you." He spread both arms open wide. Rikku took one step, then another, until she was standing between Seymour and the group behind her. 

"Maester Seymour!" Yuna's voice halted all further discussion. The Maester of Yevon looked at her, arms still out to welcome Rikku. 

"Lady Yuna? Have you decided?" 

"I.I'm sorry, but I can't marry you." She looked away. Tidus silently cheered happily. Seymour narrowed his eyes. 

"Very well then. Rikku, come here." His voice was slightly colder than before, but Rikku didn't seem to notice. She took a few more steps until her cheek brushed against Seymour's outstretched claw. She shuddered and slumped forward, unconscious. 

"Rikku!" 

Yuna gasped as she watched Seymour catch Rikku in his arms. He leaned down and whispered something in her ear, and there was a blinding light that lit the room. When it faded, Rikku was dressed in the same black crush velvet dress as in her dream. Wakka's eyes widened in shock as he watched the Maester caress the Al Bhed's cheek. "M-Maester! She's Al Bhed!" He sputtered and pointed to the young girl who still hadn't stirred. Seymour looked at him and smiled. 

"I know." He slowly bent over and dressed his lips on her neck. Slowly, her eyes fluttered open.

"Come now, Rikku. Would you like to join me?" Seymour helped Rikku upright and she looked up at him, eyes glazed and void of emotion. 

"There. They are the ones that betrayed you." He pointed one claw towards the group. Slowly, Rikku looked over them. If she recognized any of them, it didn't show on her face. 

"Rikku! Hey! It's us!" Tidus frantically waved his hands above his head. Rikku looked at him blankly. He shrunk back and moved towards Auron. The big guardian had been quiet threw it all.

"Auron, what's wrong with Rikku?" 

"..." 

Auron said nothing. He tried to take in what was happening. She had been fine until she had the confrontation with the spherimorph. What had happened that they had missed? 

"Seymour, I swear, if you do anything to Rikku.." Tidus had turned his attention back to the front of the room. Seymour chuckled and stroked Rikku's bare arm. She shivered under his touch. Auron felt his fist clench slightly. 

"You'll what?" Seymour snapped his fingers and two Guado Guardians appeared on either side. He pointed forward and had Rikku stand beside him.  
  
"Go." 

And then the battle begun. Yuna, Tidus, and Lulu started out. Yuna cast protect and Tidus cast haste. Lulu cast spells and sent them at the two Guado Guardians. They would stagger, but just as quickly heal themselves and the Maester. 

"This is wrong. All wrong." Wakka cradled his head in his hands from his place on the side. Auron stood next to him, eyes trained on Rikku. She stared out before her, eyes not seeing anything. Two screams on the field brought his attention back to the two guardians. They both fell. One taken out by Tidus' sword, the other by Lulu's fire spell. Seymour should have been worried. His guardian's deaths didn't phase him in the least. "Auron! Switch in for Yuna!" Tidus ordered as he watched Yuna sway slightly. She had taken a massive amount of damage and her MP was drained. Auron took her place, sword poised and ready. He took a few seconds to plan an attack before rushing towards the unarmed Seymour. 

Without warning, Rikku appeared in front of him. His eye widened as he raised the blade, and quickly swung it wide. Seymour laughed. 

"You can't hurt me until you get through her." He pointed at Rikku, who stared back at Auron. The room was quiet, waiting to see what would happen. 

"Rikku, move. I don't want to hurt you." Auron poised his sword again, watching Rikku closely. She shook her head. 

"You all used me. I refuse to let you hurt him. He's promised to protect me." To make her point, she wrapped her arms around the Maesters' neck. Seymour chuckled and held her tightly against him. Auron couldn't get a good shot at him without hitting Rikku. "Rikku! Wake up!" Yuna stood wearily, Khimari's arm the only thing holding her up. Rikku stared at her. 

"You didn't want me to save you. I tried. Tidus, I tried to battle that Qactuar but you yelled at me. Wakka hates the Al Bhed. I'm Al Bhed. Auron...you're cold. So cold." Rikku shuddered and wrapped her arms around her waist. She backed away slowly from Seymour, shivering. Auron saw this as his chance and struck. Seymour's eyes widened, and he grabbed Rikku's arm. 

She gasped as he tossed her into the blades' path. It was too late. Auron was too slow. The sword cut through Rikku's stomach and she screamed. Auron stared in shock as the young Al Bhed slumped forward, towards the ground. Auron dropped the sword and caught her. 

"Rikku!!!" 

Yuna pulled away from Khimari and stumbled, falling to her knees. Tidus rushed over to her and cradled her in his arms. Lulu and Wakka watched the scene before them wide eyed. Khimari looked away. 

"You said you'd protect me..." Rikku stared up at Seymour, eyes suddenly filled with pain, sadness, and confusion. Blood soaked the black dress, the fabric clinging to her wound. Seymour stared at her blankly. 

"I trusted you. I betrayed them because..." Rikku coughed, blood trickling out of her mouth. Her vision swam. She could hear her heart in her head. She was vaguely aware of Auron shouting something at her. She fought to keep her eyes open. She stared up at Auron's face. He had taken his collar off and was pressing it against the cut in her stomach. She winced, but raised a hand and traced her bloody fingers along the stubble on his chin. His eye widened. 

"I'm sorry I didn't trust you...I said such mean things.." She grinned sleepily and her hand dropped back to her side. Her eyes fluttered closed and her body went limp. Seymour grinned and disappeared.  
  
"Rikku! Rikku!" 

Auron heard someone shouting the young Al Bhed's name. And it was him. Yuna had come up next to him with just enough power left to cast a cura, then collapsed sobbing into Tidus' arms. Auron cradled the body to his chest. Her bleeding had stopped, but it wasn't enough. Tidus threw Rikku another potion, praying for her to wake up. "Everyone back up." 

"Sir Auron?" Yuna sniffled and looked at the elder guardian hopefully. Silently, they did as they were told. Auron gently laid Rikku down on the cold marble floor and leaned over her. He took her chin in his hand and squeezed gently, her lips parting slightly. He took a deep breath before pressing his lips against hers'. Yuna gave a muffled sob as she buried her head in Tidus' chest. He said nothing as he watched Auron. 

Auron ignored everyone and everything around him, intent on saving Rikku. Her body was limp, but still warm. He knew if he couldn't get her breathing again, then she'd turn cold. He felt her twitch from under him, and he pressed harder on her chest. Rikku's eyes opened and she looked around wildly. Auron pulled away and helped her into a sitting position. 

She began to cough violently, and Auron moved closer, rubbing her back. It was a small level of comfort, but Rikku, once she could think clearly, found it the most reassuring. She whimpered and pressed herself against him, head buried under his chin. Too relieved that she was breathing again, Auron didn't mind that she was in his arms. "Rikku!" Yuna stumbled towards her cousin. Rikku pulled away from Auron and smiled weakly. 

"Yunie..I'm sorry." She whimpered and hugged her cousin. Auron missed the warmth that Rikku had provided, but he didn't say that out loud. 

"He promised me..He lied and told me that you were using me." Rikku whimpered and let a few tears escape. Yuna smiled and held Rikku closer. 

"It's okay, Rikku." Yuna soothed her as she gently rubbed her back. Slowly, Rikku pulled away and wiped her eyes. She turned to face Auron, head bowed.

"Thank you. I'm sorry I said so many mean things." Rikku sniffled and looked up at him. Auron looked away first and suddenly felt very naked without his collar to hide his face. 

"We should get going." Auron stood and fixed his coat. He had just bent to et his sword, when two arms encircled around him. He froze and glanced over his shoulder. Rikku's cheek was pressed against his back, eyes closed. 

"I mean it. Thank you." 

"I was the one who hit you." 

He said it bluntly, trying to understand exactly how this girl thought. He straightened up and waited until she pulled away before looking at her. 

"It was also you who helped save me. Not only now, but in the fight against the Qactuar and the spherimorph. And just now, when you saved me again." Rikku smiled, and Auron wiped the blood from her mouth. She gasped when his finger brushed her skin, but didn't say anything. 

"We need to get moving. The cloister of trials is just ahead." Auron motioned forward and everyone followed him. Rikku had to smile, and then hurried inside.  
  
~*^-^*~  
  
AN: So this chapter was a little short. Oh well! Hey, this is two updates in a day! Be happy ^-^ Again, the idea of Rikku feeling betrayed wasn't mine. ^-^ But it was a really good idea, ne? Arigatou Andrew!  
  
Read and Review Please!  
  
~Neoshipper~ 


	6. Chapter Six

AN: Ack! I noticed a few errors between chapters 4 and 5 _ One is "Seymour PRESSED (not dressed ^-^;;) his lips to her neck" and the other is "Auron had been silent THROUGH (not threw) it all. That's what happens when you re-read. XP And somewhere at the end of chapter five is "et" but it's posta say "let". I'm starting to wonder how I did better than more than half my grade in writing on the PSATs XD What was my score? Sore wa himitsu desu! ^-~  
  
OOOH! And I had another realization (which are very rare). I think I was wrong, and the group went to the trials BEFORE Seymour appeared. @_@ ACK! I can't remember, it's been so long!!!! ::cries:: Because Yuna has Shiva (aka ???) during the battle with Anima... XP Help me! I'm losing what brain cells I have left! And there aren't that many!!!! ^-^;;  
  
Disclaimer: Don't own Final Fantasy X. Squaresoft and some nice other people do ^-^  
  
Anyway, this is the chapter where I'm going to alter a little bit of FFX history/events ::grins:: ^-^  
  
~*^-^*~  
  
Rikku shivered as the group walked down a small slope inside the trials. Her breaths came out in small puffs in front of her. She held her arms close to her body. The strapless dress was even less cover up than her normal outfit. All she wanted to do was go home and take a shower. Home? Where was home? She had a few of her memories, but all were small and fuzzy. She remembered her brother and all about the Al Bhed and their language. No matter how hard she tried, she couldn't remember anything else.

"Eek!" She shrieked as she stumbled on a patch of ice. Normally, had she been fully healed, she would have been able to steady herself. Now, with a large amount of blood loss, she tumbled into Auron's side. He grunted and looked down at her. Without his collar to cover his face, his expression was completely visible, and Rikku had to fight off a stare. 

"S-sorry."

Her teeth chattered as she talked, and she wrapped her arms around herself, careful of the drying blood on the dress. She looked down, blushing, and was surprised when a blanket of warmth enveloped her. She glanced up at Auron, who was now coat-less (again). 

"Thanks." She mumbled and hurried to catch up with Tidus, who seemed to be doing most of the work with the orbs. A click was heard and they were out free. Rikku sighed happily, until she saw the mass of guards waiting outside the door. 

"You assaulted the Maester of Yevon. That is a violation, and we must take you in, now." A guard walked forward and grabbed Rikku, the closest to the door. She yelped and struggled against his grip. Auron used the hilt of his sword and knocked the guard unconscious. Rikku smiled meekly and backed away from the rest of guards. 

"Run!" 

Tidus swiped his sword at the guards, who parted in caution. Quickly, with Tidus in the front and Auron and Khimari in the rear, the group was able to get free from the advancing guards. 

"That was too easy." Lulu said as she glanced behind her. Wakka nodded. Tidus seemed oblivious to the suspicion and took off ahead. 

"Tidus! Wait!" Yuna hurried after him. Rikku glanced behind her one last time before following everyone else.  
  
~*^-^*~  
  
"So this is why they didn't follow us!" Tidus watched as the Guado Guardians died, but not before casting berserk and a protection spell on the Wendigo. The battle took a while, but eventually with Wakka's sleep attack and Auron's power break, they were able to wear it down. Rikku stole a few items before Lulu cast one last fira spell and the beast screamed. Rikku, who had tripped on the coat Auron had given her earlier, handed it back to him, blushing. He accepted it silently.

"I'm beat." Tidus collapsed on the ground, and Rikku had to agree, falling next to him. She gasped and sat up when she heard a faint melody being played. 

"Is that?"

"The songs of the temples. But why?" Lulu looked around for a source of the sudden music, but couldn't find one. Rikku began to feel lightheaded, and she swayed. Luckily she was still on the ground, or she would have fallen. She let her eyes shut and let the music of the temples wash over her.  
  
~*^-^*~  
  
Rikku moaned and opened her eyes, which was a big mistake. The sun glared at her, and she had to hide her face from the prodding light. What happened? Where was she? She rolled onto her stomach and slowly lifted her head up and scanned the area. She was in a desert, she noticed, a desert that seemed painfully familiar. She pushed herself up on all fours, and found trouble moving in the small black dress. She sat down and used her teeth to rip the bottom of the dress. She smiled, satisfied, when she heard a loud ripping noise and a tear formed in the fabric. She continued to rip the dress until the bottom, which had once fallen to her ankles, now came up a little past her knees. It was revealing and hugged her hips tightly, but it would have to do. 

"Where is everybody?" She stumbled to her feet and glanced around her. Sand filled between her toes, and it was then she realized that the black sandals that had appeared with the dress were gone. Sighing and trying to not sink her toes into the hot sand, she closed her eyes. She gasped as a vision washed over her. She fell to her knees, much like the first time she had a flashback.  
  
_~*FLASHBACK*~_

A tall Al Bhed man stood before a young Rikku. She was only seven or eight, and her outfit had looked similar to what it did now. They were talking in Al Bhed, Rikku's hands moving animatedly as she spoke. A young boy entered, about thirteen, and he ruffled Rikku's hair. She frowned, but then quickly smiled again. 

~*END FLASHBACK*~  
  
"Home" Rikku muttered as she lifted her head from her hands. She was home. And those people had been her father and brother, the one she had yelled at in the machina. She knew where she was, and she knew just how to get home to the safety of the Al Bhed house. 

"Rikku!!!" 

"Huh?" Rikku snapped out of her daze and turned to look behind her, still on her knees. Tidus and the rest of the group were coming up the dune. She smiled and stood, brushing the sand off her knees. Auron hesitated in mid step as he saw the alteration Rikku had made to her dress. He shook his head, clearing the image. He had seen her in shorter articles of clothing than that before. That made his visions vary even more, and he cleared his mind, determined to stay focused on the task at hand.

"You okay?" Tidus asked as soon as they were at the top. Rikku smiled and nodded, then tugged on his sleeve. 

"C'mon! I know where we are! I'm almost home!" She smiled, excited about being able to see her father and brother. 

"Rikku, you remember how to get there?" Yuna asked, both amazed and happy that her cousin's memory was returning. Rikku nodded and pointed off in front of her. "Yea, it's this way. Come on!" She ushered the group forward, stumbling ahead. It was hard running through sand, especially without shoes. (AN: You ever try that at the beach? I have, it's hard. This one time..I'll stop XD)  
  
After about a half hour of walking (stumbling/jogging) through the desert, Rikku turned to the weary group. Auron briefly wondered how she could stay so energetic while walking through a desert in a black dress, (AN: Black conducts heat ^-^) but quickly shrugged it off as a Rikku trait. 

"It's right here!" She climbed the last way to the top of a sand dune and gasped. Her legs shook as she fell to her knees. Yuna quickly hurried to her, and then gasped. The group came up seconds later. The large Al Bhed home was in flames, pillars of smoke billowing out of windows and doors. Yuna helped her cousin to her feet, holding her up with an arm around her waist. Rikku pushed her away and quickly stumbled down the hill, tripping about a dozen times. Her father was there to greet her at the entrance. "Rikku!" He looked at her in shock. Apparently, he either hadn't expected to see her alive, or he hadn't expected her to visit. She threw her arms around him as a couple of people rushed out of the burning building. Cid drew back and looked Rikku in the eyes. "Your brother is dead." He said it softly, as if only Rikku was meant to hear it. She shook her head and backed away, eyes wide and full of fear.  
  
"You're lying." She laughed dryly as she continued to shake her head, not believing. She had just seen him less than a day ago, and he was fine. They were bickering. Cid looked away, and Rikku felt tears well up in her eyes. She pressed her hands against her mouth to keep from screaming. 

"Rikku.." 

Yuna put a hand on her cousin's shoulder. Rikku took a deep, shuddering breath before turning around and forcing a smile. 

"C'mon! We've gotta help anyone else who's in there!" She ran forward, but Auron caught her wrist. She fought against his hold, but found it useless. 

"Don't rush into things blindly. It'll only get you killed." 

"Killed? Like my brother?" She whimpered and let Auron hold her wrist tightly. Her head hung loosely on the shoulders, like a marionette who's strings had been cut. No one said anything as they watched the two before them. 

"Let me go. I have to help them." She jerked her arm away, and Auron let her. She looked at him, surprised that he had let her go so easily, then sprinted towards the burning building. The group hesitated a minute before running after her. Auron stayed behind. "What happened here?" He turned to Cid, who was cradling his head in his hands, mumbling what could be a prayer in Al Bhed. Cid glanced up at him. 

"The Guado attacked. I don't know why they decided now, but they did." He shook his head and ran towards the building. 

"After you're finished in here, bring everyone to the docks, I'll fly us out. Please, protect my daughter." He stared meaningfully into Aurons' eye before turning and hurrying into the burning building. Auron took one last look at the dead bodies littering the ground before following.  
  
~*^-^*~  
  
"It's hopeless, Rikku! There's no one left alive!"

Tidus grabbed her arm but the Al Bhed refused to listen. She was digging through ash and rubble, hands bloodied and bruised. Yuna gently took her hand in hers;, preventing her from digging. Rikku sniffled and looked away. 

"Looks like we have company!" Tidus said, eyeing the group of Guado Guardians and a Wendigo. Rikku, frustrated, tired, and angered, ran into battle with Auron and Tidus by her side. One of the five guardians was bigger than the others, and Rikku did not like the way he was eyeing her. He whispered something into another Guados' ear and it nodded, also looking at her. She shuddered and focused on the berserked Wendigo. All at once, the Wendigo plowed into both Auron and Tidus. Both guardians went sprawling to the floor. Rikku gasped and hurried over to them. 

"Auron? Tidus?" 

She knelt by Auron's side. He nodded, too winded to talk. Rikku had just sighed with relief when she felt a pair of strong arms wrap tightly around her waist and lifted her up. She shrieked and kicked, but the thing kept a tight grip on her. Spinning around to face her attacker, she realized it was the giant Guado from before. He grinned and began running towards a small snowmobile that was waiting for him. 

"Stop it! Yunie! Auron!" 

Rikku reached for the group. Auron and Tidus were both up now, sprinting after the Guado. He sensed this and quickly jumped onto the snow mobile. Rikku screamed and fought desperately against his grasp. Auron was close now, and Rikku reached out her hand. His fingertips brushed hers, and for one moment she thought she was safe. Then, the snow mobile lurched forward and the connection was lost. 

"Auron!" 

Rikku struggled to reach the guardian. The roar of the engine muffled her cries, and in the distance she could see Auron, still running after her.  
  
~*^-^*~  
  
AN: Bwahaha! Evilness! Poor Rikku..something is always happening to her ::sigh:: Anyway, if you didn't notice (or remember) Yuna isn't with the group on the trip through the desert (cause she's off getting married to Seymour). Sooooo...I changed FF history a little ^-^  
  
~*Neoshipper*~ 


	7. Chapter Seven

AN: Updating while watching Les Miz. Gotta memorize the music before the play which is…Thursday o.o EEP!!!! OOO! Did you know they're making Rent into a movie in 2004!!!! Manley Pope! XD It won't be as good as the play, but hey, it's RENT! ::clears throat:: Here's the next chappy. Arigatou for all the reviews! 

~*^-^*~

Rikku whimpered as she was thrown on the ground at The Maester of Yevon's feet. She glanced up at him from her place on the floor and her eyes filled with contempt and fear. She scrambled to crawl away, but a Guado Guardian blocked her path. 

"Well, Rikku, what a pleasant surprise." 

"Stay away." 

Rikku glared at him, fighting to keep the fear out of her eyes. Seymour smirked and kneeled in front of her. She gasped and leaned back. 

"Is that any way to speak to your future husband, Rikku?" 

"W-WHAT!?"

Rikku's voice was high pitched and she barley recognized it as her own. Seymour smiled and grabbed her chin, forcing her to look at him. Her eyes were even wider than before, their green depths spinning with anger, fear, and confusion. 

"Since Lady Yuna has turned me down, I have picked you as my bride." 

"W-what will marrying me accomplish? I'm of no importance!" Rikku tried to calm down, to think logically, but it was hard with the Maester just inches away from her. 

"Oh, but you are very important. Your disappearance will greatly upset the Lady Yuna."

"But, I mean, why not take Tidus? He's important to Yunie too!"

"I do not fancy wedding a…man." His face scrunched up in distaste. Rikku blinked, clearly startled by his answer. 

"Go get her fitted for her dress. We wed at dawn." He was serious again as he stood, and Rikku struggled feebly against the Guado holding her from behind. 

"Auron…"

~*^-^*~

"How could this happen!? Why Rikku? What do they need her for?" Tidus angrily slammed the hilt of his sword against the ground. Yuna sat next to him, numb with shock and fear. Khimari and Lulu were silent, standing side by side. Wakka muttered prayers to Yevon, his head in his hands. 

"Auron….?" Tidus looked at the silent guardian. He stood by himself, arms crossed over his chest in a defiant pose. He had let Rikku down. Why was it that he felt this way? Why did his heart give a strange pull in a way he never experienced before? More importantly, what was he to do about it?

"Auron? You all right?" Tidus placed a hand on his shoulder. Auron didn't even look at him, too busy trying to sort through the emotions that threatened to break free. 

"Sir Auron?" Yuna's quiet voice caught his attention, and he glanced over his shoulder. Without the collar covering his face, he felt bare and almost vulnerable. 

"What do they want with Rikku? I'm positive it was Maester Seymour's doing, but what does my cousin have to do with all this?" Yuna was close to tears, buried in guilt. Tidus wrapped an arm around her shoulders, a soothing gesture that made Yuna lean heavily upon him. 

"I don't know." Auron admitted, turning back to stare out in front of him. He had been so close to saving her. So close. Her fingers had brushed his. He was too slow to close his hand around hers'. Yes, it was his fault. 

"Let's go."

"Go? Go where? We need to find Rikku!" Tidus objected, rushing over to Auron. He looked at the younger boy. So young. So naïve. So spunky, like he had once been. 

"If we find Seymour, we find Rikku." 

"…Oh…." Tidus blushed, embarrassed by his outburst. Auron started walking, and Yuna and Tidus followed quickly after. Along with Yuna, like a good bodyguard, followed Khimari, then Lulu, and lastly Wakka, who was still praying for forgiveness.

~*^-^*~

Rikku sniffled and curled into a ball. The room Seymour had put her in was huge, filled with everything and anything. The four post bed was soft, red silk sheets draped across. There was a small bedside table with a tray filled with Guado delicacies and other such foods. A goblet of red wine and a cup of water sat on the tray, both waiting to be drunk. 

"Auron…I'm scared…" Rikku hugged one of the soft pillows to her chest and buried her face in it. She wanted to be back with everyone. Even going through the Thunder Plains was better than this. Well, on second thought, maybe not. But it was close. 

"Lady Rikku? Would you like some more wine?" A plump Guado serving maiden peeled her head in the door. Rikku shook her head and the lady bowed and disappeared. 'Lady Rikku' didn't sound right at all, and no matter how many times she corrected them, the name stuck. 

"I wonder what you're doing now, Auron…." She mumbled, her eyelids beginning to droop ever so slightly. She stifled a yawn and forced her eyes to stay open. Then suddenly, without warning, Seymour's voice filled her head like crush velvet against her skin. 

'Sleep Rikku. You need your rest for tomorrow.'

"No…I can't sleep…Not now…." She shuddered as Seymour's voice sounded through her head again.

'Sleep.'

"Auron…." She yawned and slowly laid on her side in a tight ball, pillow clutched to her chest. She closed her eyes, promising only to sleep for a few minutes, before drifting off into a deep sleep. 

~*^-^*~

AN: Gomen! The chapters are all so short recently! Daijoubu! The next chapter will be longer, partly because it includes the wedding ceremony ^-^ I know a few people predicted this, some even said so in reviews ^-^ but how was it? A good twist? Bad twist? Some un-Seymour-like comments earlier at the beginning, ne? XD But I couldn't help it! 

I'm still open to ideas! After the next chapter, I'm gonna start drawing a blank, and need help. Email me! (tasukixmiaka@yahoo.com). And while you're at it, fictionpress.net has my faerie story, "Into the Mist". Onegai! I want at least a few reviews! You know you love me! XD 

Neoshipper is a little strung out today. Guess what. I got laid SIX times today!!!! 4 by Manley Pope and the other two times by Takuto XD LMAO, it's late and I've had ice cream cake for my brother's 13th birthday (Happy Birthday Onee-chan!)And when I said laid, I meant lays, like the Hawaiian lays XD. 

~*Neoshipper*~


	8. Chapter Eight

AN: Yay! Tonight's the opening night of the play! I must say, Les Miz is a hard play, so I'm really happy/excited that we can pull it off ^-^ ::clears throat:: Anyway, I was surprised I got so many reviews for such a short chapter ^-^;; 

I'd like to thank tuatha danaan for giving me honest opinion of my story. And I'm glad that my grammar and such is good ^-^ I re-read the chapters and realized you were right, and I'm sorry if it got too repetitive! From now on I'm going to try my best to keep Rikku out of the "helpless" zone. 

And sorry about inserting AN in the middle of the story, I try and avoid it, but I guess I kinda added them this time, huh? ::grimaces:: Gomen!

And Rocker Baby, I definitely LOVE Rent! I wanna see Tick…Tick…Boom! But it's only on tour and nowhere near me XP

~*^-^*~

"Lady Rikku? Lady?" 

Rikku grumbled and buried her head under a pillow. She heard someone shuffle in the room, and heard the clanking of the curtains as they were whisked back and sunlight streamed into the room. She heard footsteps next to the bed and shivered when the covers were pulled back, exposing her to the cold. 

"Lady Rikku, we must hurry! The Maester had wanted to wed you at dawn, but I insisted you needed your sleep. We can't delay any longer, lady."

Rikku yawned and sat up, rubbing her eyes. What was all the fuss about? Glancing around the room, she started. 

"W-where am I?" Rikku looked around, bewildered. She didn't remember crawling into a bed. 

"Why, you're in the Maester's guest room, don't you remember?" The pudgy Guado serving lady pursed her lips in confusion. Rikku's eyes widened as she realized the truth of the last statement and exactly what had happened last night.

"We really must hurry. Quickly, follow me!" The woman grabbed Rikku by the wrist and yanked her out of bed. The younger girl yelped, but allowed the antsy Guado to lead her out of the room and down the hall. 

"Here we are. This is where you'll prepare for the ceremony." The woman opened a large oak door and motioned Rikku inside. The room was large, a black marble tub in the back corner. A vanity, complete with matching stool, sat in the corner, various toiletries and brushes laying on the table. A long black garment bag caught Rikku's attention, and she was pretty sure she didn't have to ask to know what was in it. 

"Come now, I'll help you wash up." The woman gave Rikku a couple of small pushes before bustling lively over to the tub and drawing a bath. 

"Thank you for your help…."

"Arthea. You may call me Arthea." She smiled and poured some scented oils into the water. 

"Come Lady Rikku, your bath is ready." 

Rikku stood in the middle of the room and let Arthea strip her clothes off her. Numbly, she sunk into the hot water and slid down until only her chin was above water. Rikku listened quietly and uninterested to Arthea babble as she washed her hair. She was so wrapped in her thoughts that she shrieked when Arthea grabbed her arm and pulled her out of the tub. 

"Here, wrap this one around your hair while I get your clothes." Arthea said as Rikku finished wrapping a fluffy white towel around her body. The Al Bhed nodded and wrapped the extra towel around her wet hair. Rikku felt sick as she watched Arthea unzip the large black bag and pulled out a huge white dress. Her knees no longer able to hold her, she sunk to the floor. 

She couldn't really be doing this, could she? She wouldn't really marry the Maester, right?

"Lady?"

"I'm fine, really, just a little tired." She laughed uneasily and forced her legs to work so Arthea could get her dressed. 

"Just a little tired."

~*^-^*~

Yuna sighed and ran a hand through her hair, clearly frustrated. She glanced at her uncle, who was now steering his ship, face set in grim determination. She couldn't blame him; His daughter was missing. Lulu and Wakka stood in a corner near the front of the ship, quietly arguing about something. Khimari stood guard at the door, and Tidus paced anxiously in a small invisible path. Auron was nowhere to be found. 

"I'll be back." She whispered to Tidus before leaving the deck. She caught a blob of red in the hall, and smiled sadly as she recognized Auron leaning heavily against the wall. 

"Sir Auron, I'm sure we'll find-"

"It's not my concern, my only concern is to finish the pilgrimage."

Yuna stared at her eldest guardian, horrified. What he was saying could not be true, she wouldn't believe it. 

"But you had said before that if we found Maester Seymour we would find-"

"If we find Rikku while we are there, then we will help her, if not, we don't have time to stop." Auron stared evenly at the summoner. Yuna opened her mouth, then closed it, shook her head, and walked away. 

Auron stared after her before sighing heavily and slouching deeper into the wall. His head hurt and he felt the odd stirrings of something deep in his chest. 

The cabin door opened and Tidus, Lulu, Wakka, and Khimari rushed out, weapons ready. Tidus stopped in front of him. 

"There's a fiend on deck, we've gotta stop it before it knocks us down!" Tidus adjusted his sword before hurrying off after the group. Auron stared after the group, weary. He took a quick swig of sake before starting off after them. 

~*^-^*~

"You look marvelous!" Arthea clapped her hands together happily and bounced up and down. Rikku was less ecstatic, settling for just looking at herself in the full-length mirror. 

The dress was long, so long that Arthea had to trim it before she could wear it. Ruffles puffed out the front, tiny off-white beads sewn across the trim. The top was tight fitting, lace threaded through the front and tied in a small bow in the center. The sleeves were long, a small triangular point fell to the middle of the back of her hands. The shoulders were big and tacky, but Rikku had no say in what she wore. 

To complete her attire, a pearl necklace hung from her neck, making her skin look even paler than it normally was. Her hair had been yanked in every direction, until it was woven into a tight bun at the top of her head and she felt like she had a face lift. Small pearl clips held loose wisps of hair back, and a veil hid her face. 

"Smile, Lady, that frown doesn't suit you." 

Rikku forced a wobbly smile as she looked at the Guado woman. She had been so kind, even though Rikku had done nothing in return. Arthea took her arm and pulled her out of the bathroom and down the hall. Rikku swallowed the lump of fear in her throat. Nobody was coming to save her. 

~*^-^*~

"Man, that, was tough." Tidus panted, falling back against the ship deck. Yuna nodded wearily and sunk down next to him, hands still shaking as they clutched her staff. The fiend had been huge, and had drained most of everyone's MP. 

"Khimari sees something." The Ronso pointed a large clawed hand down below the ship to a small raised platform. Tidus crawled to the ledge, careful of the long fall down, and squinted. 

"Hey Yuna, ask your uncle to go lower, it's hard to make out anything from here." Tidus glanced over his shoulder to make sure Yuna had heard, but she was already on her way to the cabin. 

"Hey Auron, you see that?" Tidus waved his hand to the platform. Auron nodded wordlessly. A quick jerk of the ship and the feeling of their stomachs' dropping signaled that the ship was lowering. Yuna appeared on deck a few seconds later and kneeled next to Tidus. Wakka and Lulu instinctively grabbed an arm to prevent her from falling.

The platform was coming into view now, and they could barely make out people and what appeared to be Guado, gathered to the sides. 

"What is this?" Tidus asked as he leaned forward, Yuna grabbed his arm and pulled him back. He laughed nervously. 

"It looks like a Guado wedding reception." Lulu offered her input as they drew even closer. 

"A wedding? Here? Now?" Wakka was skeptical. Lulu nodded but didn't say anything else. Yuna's gasp caught their attention. 

"Yuna?" Auron walked behind the girl to see what had upset her so much. She pointed towards the platform with a shaky hand. Auron squinted with his one good eye, trying to get a better look. 

Then he saw her. She was wearing a long flowing dress that trailed a short way behind her. A bouquet of wild flowers were clasped tightly in her hands, and she stood next to the Maester of Yevon on the alter. 

"Rikku?"

~*^-^*~

AN: I lied about doing the whole wedding ceremony in one chapter ^-^;; I didn't expect this part to be this long…o well! 

It's now 12:30 in the morning, hours after I wrote this chapter, and I just came back from the Diner after Le Miz. It went great ^-^ I'm happy, and now I'm gonna go to bed ^-^

Please Review!

~Neoshipper~


	9. Chapter Nine

AN: Yay! I've beaten my record of 63 reviews XD (pretty pathetic compared to the stories out there with 100+ XP) Anyway, thanks for all the reviews! They make me happy ^-^

~*^-^*~

            Rikku took a faltering step closer to the alter and nervously chewed on her lip. Her eyes were wide and wild, looking for an escape, looking for someone that would help her. There was no one. She grimaced as she stubbed her toe into the bottom step leading up to the alter. 

            "Come, Lady Rikku, I await you." Maester Seymour held out one large, clawed hand. Rikku blinked. Was he serious? There were only a few steps until she got to the top to stand next to the Maester. How long could she stall? How mad was she willing to get him?

            "Lady Rikku." He hissed between clenched teeth. The crowd was getting restless, every so often clearing their throats or chattering softly until a Guado guard slammed the bottom of his spear into the ground, then all was silent. 

            Rikku shook her head slowly, a very slight movement. Seymour's eyes were filled instantly with a dark fire, and she had to recoil. A few guards stepped up behind her. She was trapped. 

            'Somebody, please come soon!' She thought before slowly walking up the alter, one slow, agonizing step at a time. 

~*^-^*~

            "What is Rikku doing down there!?" 

            Tidus paced back and forth as they waited for Yuna's uncle to lower the ship a little closer. 

            "It looks like she's in a wedding dress. And she's approaching the alter with Maester Seymour." Lulu pointed out what was painfully obvious for everyone. Someone inhaled sharply, and Yuna turned to face her eldest guardian, the one who had made the sound. 

            "Sir Auron? Are you all right?" The young summoner stood and walked towards him. He nodded, his eyes never leaving the figure below them. Yuna caught his unnerved stare and smiled knowingly. She placed a hand on his arm. 

            "Don't worry, we'll help Rikku."

            "Did I say anything about her?" He stared evenly at Yuna. She smiled, already knowing his charade. He silently cursed his luck and nodded towards Tidus. 

            "Tidus, tell them we need a rope that can get us down there fast."

            "Aye Aye captain!" The blitz star saluted before sprinting back into the ship to do as ordered. Yuna stifled a giggle. Auron was not amused. 

            Within minutes, Tidus was back on deck and ushering the group towards the side of the ship. Dangerously close to the edge of the ship. Too close for Yuna's liking. She whimpered and snaked her arms around Tidus' waist. He chuckled and wrapped an arm around her, poising himself before a thick metal chain leading off the boat. 

            "You ready? We're gonna ride this baby down to the platform, where we get to crash a little party." Tidus winked as he placed one foot on the chain and pressed down to make sure it would hold. Yuna gasped and looked up at him.

            "Ride? We're going to- ride?" It was a long way down. A very long way down. And not something one should attempt in heels. Tidus felt her insecurity and tightened his hold. 

            "Just don't look down, it'll be okay."

            "Easier said than done." Yuna had only seconds to protest before she and Tidus pushed off, sliding down the chain. Yuna's shriek carried in the wind, and the gorup on deck was pretty sure Tidus had lost most of the hearing in his right ear by now. 

            Khimari and Lulu went next, not a peep out of either of them. Wakka hesitated before jumping on and following. Auron waited at the top. Briefly, he found himself wondering what Rikku would have done if she had to slide down, but then decided she was Rikku and she did everything. 

            A small smile on his lips, he followed everyone down towards the awaiting platform below, where Rikku was.

~*^-^*~

            "And do you take this Guado to be your lawfully wedded husband, to love and to hold, as long as you both shall live?"

            "As long as we both live? Ya' know, don't Guados live a long time?" Rikku laughed nervously. She had tried everything to stall the ceremony: Trip, fall down the stairs, fits of hacking coughs, and even a "Look! A Behemoth is behind you!" Needless to say that nothing had worked. Now she was at the final vows. One word would decide her fate. Just one little word. One little syllable. She opened her mouth into a small 'o' shape, and nothing would come out of her mouth. 

            'Auron! Help!'

            "Rikku!" 

            The young Al Bhed gasped and looked up, as did the rest of the wedding attendees. Her eyes sparkled with new found hope as she watched Tidus, Yuna, Khimari, Lulu, Wakka, and Auron land on the platform. 

            "Minna!" 

            Rikku lifted up the bottom of her dress and started to run towards them before a hand on her arm stopped her. 

            "You have not given an answer yet. Everyone is waiting." Seymour's face was calm, a clean slate. Rikku knew better when she felt his claw dig into her skin. She winced as blood was drawn. He pulled her towards him and she stumbled, falling against his chest. She went to move away, but he held her there and lowered his mouth to her ear. 

            "I can crush your arm right now, Al Bhed."

            Now Rikku was scared. Scared was an understatement. Terrified seemed like a better word. Yes, definitely terrified. To cover up his threat, Seymour threw back his head and laughed, causing everyone to jump. 

            "Really, Lady Rikku, if you must insist…." 

            She only had a second to react before his lips crashed down on hers. She panicked and tried to pull back, but one hand was still crushing her arm and the other held the back of her head. So she did the only thing she could think to do. At the exact same time she dug her heel into his foot, she bit down on his bottom lip. Hard. 

            The Maester howled in pain and pushed Rikku away from him, one hand covering his bleeding lip. Rikku stumbled backwards and tripped on her dress. She shrieked, but was surprised to find her fall cushioned. She glanced down. 

            "Yo! Long time no see, Rikku!" Tidus grinned and waved from his position on his stomach underneath her. She giggled and nodded, quickly but clumsily struggling to get off him. Whoever decided girls needed to wear long frilly dresses during weddings obviously did not consider the fights with fiends or angry Maesters' of Yevon. 

            "Rikku!" Yuna ran to her cousin and embraced her. Rikku grinned and hugged her back, clearly happy to be back. 

            "Guards! Seize them!" Seymour bellowed, pointing towards the group. Rikku's eyes widened. Because of her, her friends were going to get involved too. She had to think fast. 

            "Hey! Maester of Yevon! We Al Bhed don't marry Guados!" It was lame, she knew, not even an insult, but it got their attention. As quickly as she could manage without tripping on her dress, she ran away from her friends, despite their protests, and stood near the edge of the platform. Seymour started forward but Rikku raised a hand to stop him and shook a finger. 

            "Uh uh uh. You come any closer and I'll jump."

            Unlike Rikku had planned, Seymour took a step closer. Then another. She gulped. Now she was in trouble. Giggling nervously, she backed towards the edge. 

            "A long way down, huh? Wouldn't want me to fall down there, right?" 

            He took a long stride. Rikku cursed silently, very un-Rikku like. She was running out of bad jokes and space. Gulping, she knew there was only one thing she could do. With her eye still on the approaching Maester, she tore into the bottom of the dress. The crowd cried out in shock and dismay as they watched Rikku tear the gown, throwing bits an pieces on the ground. By the time she was done, the dress came up to her knees and the tacky sleeves she had been dying to rip off were nowhere to be found. 

            Grinning triumphantly, she stood back up straight and slipped out of the heels. Now, she felt more comfortable. Seymour was only a foot away and gaining. 

            "I told you I'd jump." She muttered before falling backwards off the platform. Again the crowd gasped and everyone rushed to the side. Rikku was gone. The only thing visible was the ocean below. 

            "Rikku!" Yuna struggled to reach the edge but Tidus stopped her, shaking his head sadly. That's when he heard collective gasps followed by a few screams. Tidus spun around and watched in horror as Auron dove off the platform. 

            "Auron!" 

~*^-^*~

            Rikku grinned, panting form the rush. As soon as she had pushed herself off the platform, she had managed to grab onto a piece of rock that hid her from the platforms view. She was just too clever. 

            "Auron!"

            She gasped and craned her head to look behind her. Sure enough, something red whizzed by her, and it was heading towards the water at an alarming speed. 

            "Auron!!" Without thinking, Rikku let go of the rock and plunged down after him, praying she could catch up with him. Catch up with him and do what? Gritting her teeth, she begged herself to go faster. She was so close. Her fingertips brushed cloth and she grabbed hold, determined. With much effort, she was able to wrap her arms around Auron's torso and press herself against his back. 

            "Rikku!?" Auron glanced at the girl in shock. Where had she come from? Hadn't she jumped off the platform? There was no time to think of that now. Grunting, he was able to pull Rikku around him and hold her against his chest. She buried her head under his chin and hid from the oncoming rocks. 

            "Get ready. We're going to hit…..Now!" At first Auron felt nothing but numbness trying to overtake his senses, but he fought them away. Next was a sharp stinging pain in his shoulders and back. He remembered vaguely loosing his hold on Rikku before his head hit a rock and he lost consciousness. 

~*^-^*~

AN: I'm sorry if Rikku seemed helpless again!!!! I honestly don't think she did in this chapter, but if you feel different, I apologize! But since Rikku doesn't have an aeon (like Yuna did), how else would she get away? And it gives Auron a chance to be helpless for a bit and need saving. And it leaves Auron and Rikku on their own for a while ::sings "On My Own"::

Oh! And I'm sorry if Rikku's "Minna!" was a little weird, but it was either that or she could say "Auron!" (too needy) or "Everybody!" (…erm, no comment ^-^;;)

Please Review because I know how much ya'll love cliff hangers! XD

~Neoshipper~


	10. Chapter Ten

AN: Gweep! I'm glad everyone liked the ending to the last chappy ^-^ I've been updating a lot recently ::blinks:: waii waii! O! And to who asked what "minna" means, it means "Everyone", it's not Al Bhed either, sorry if I was unclear about that!! ^-^;;

Yay! Someone else who loves "On My Own"! Anyone else wanna sing with us? ^-^

~*^-^*~

 It was cold. Rikku shivered and opened her mouth, only to choke when salty sea water seeped between her lips. Sputtering and confused, Rikku sprang into a sitting position and coughed, spitting out the bitter water. 

            "What in the world?" She rubbed sand from her eyes and looked around. She tried to move her legs but something heavy and wet weighed her down. The wedding dress was soaked and bloated with water, even with the excess trail removed. 

            "Eww! Gross!" She whined and stumbled to her feet, feeling the weight of the water in the dress. Her hair, which had been styled, and the veil, were a mess. Thick tendrils of blonde hair spilled into her face, and the veil hung limply to the side. Frustrated, she ripped off the veil and threw it into the ocean. 

            She was about to turn and walk the little way to shore when something caught the sun and gleamed. She bent down to pick it up and gasped. Clutching a pair of black sunglasses, she scanned the area. 

            "Auron!" She spotted the guardian sprawled face first near the water, an occasional wave washing over his head. Glasses still in hand, she ran, faltering and tripping through the sand. When she reached the man, she fell to her knees and flipped him onto his back before another wave could hit him. 

            "C'mon, Auron! Get up! This isn't funny, get up!" Rikku shook his shoulders and slapped his cheeks in an effort to wake him up. Tears burned her eyes and she was sure that the makeup that she had been wearing for the wedding was running, if it hadn't been washed off already. Grunting, she flipped him onto his side and hit his back: hard. Tears fell freely down her cheeks as she continued to hit him. 

            "Please! Auron!"

            She was rewarded with a groan, followed by coughing. Through her tears she smiled and hugged him to her, patting his back as he spit out sand and water. He was alive. She held his head to her chest and ran her fingers through his gritty hair. 

            "R-Rikku?" His voice was hoarse, and he coughed again. She nodded, but kept him cradled against her chest. Gently, he pulled back and looked at her. 

            "You're bleeding." 

            He reached his hand up to her temple and wiped the blood away. Rikku flinched, but her eyes never faltered from his. Rikku nodded her head towards him. 

            "So are you."

            She ripped some more of the sleeve of her gown and gently pressed it against the cut on his forehead. He winced, but said nothing. 

            "We should move out of here. Who knows how long we've been her, but we don't want them to come looking." Rikku glanced up at the platform high up on the mountain and shuddered. She couldn't see anything going on, but how could she be so sure? Auron nodded and stood, stumbling when he realized just how not water-resistant his coat was. Rikku giggled and waked up behind him. 

            "You can't go on like that. We'll never be able to get away." She reached around and undid the buckles holding his coat on. Slowly, she stripped it off him and tossed it to the side. It landed with a thick 'splat', spraying droplets of water in the air. Rikku blushed and placed her hands on his shoulders, slowly running them down his arms. He glanced over his shoulder and watched in confusion as she rested her cheek against his black tank-top and closed her eyes. 

            Rikku rubbed her cheek against him like a cat and sighed softly. She had only been separated from him for a day, but she had missed his scent, his warmth. A low purr escaped from low in her throat and Auron tensed. What was she thinking, and why didn't he want her to stop? He cleared his throat before stepping away. 

            "We should go find cover. If they come looking for us, we'll be caught." He began walking forward, leaving Rikku behind. She frowned before starting after him. 

~*^-^*~

            "Dammit!" 

            Tidus angrily punched the wall of the ship. Shortly after Auron and Rikku's "show", a riot had broken out and the group had to fight there way through and get back on the ship. Seymour had gotten away, which really wasn't a surprise. 

            "Rikku….Sir Auron…." Yuna whimpered and curled into a ball. Why did Rikku have to go through all of this? And for what? She sniffled and buried her head in her arms. She prayed to Yevon that they were okay. She prayed that Auron would take care of her cousin. If they had survived. 

~*^-^*~

_Squish_

_Splat_

_Squish_

_Splat_

_Squish_

_Splat_

_Squish_

_Splat_

            Rikku giggled and Auron glanced back at her, raising an eyebrow. She shook her head before running to catch up with him. 

_Squish_

_Squish_

_Squish_

_Squish_

Rikku broke out into full-fledged laughter and she had to stop to clutch her stomach. Auron frowned and came to a halt. 

            "Are you going to tell me what's so funny?"

            "I go 'squish' and you go 'splat'!" She burst out before laughing again. Auron blinked as he watched her sink to her knees, still laughing. He was missing something. 

            "Rikku…."

            He didn't really know what to say to stop the insane laughter. He glanced down at her feet and only then realized that she wasn't wearing any shoes. That was why her bare feet slapping on the sand made a 'squishing' sound instead of a 'splat'. Didn't she know that water-filled boots made sucking noises? And why was he trying to make logic of the sounds water-logged boots made? He had been spending too much time with Rikku. He shook his head before starting off again. 

_Splat_

_Splat_

_Splat_

_Splat_

Hearing the infamous sound of Auron's wet boots, Rikku looked up. Quickly jumping to her feet, she hurried after him, giggling. 

            "Hey! Wait for me!"

_Squish_

_Squish_

_Squish_

_Squish_

            Unbeknownst to Rikku, Auron let a small smile grace his mouth, suddenly enjoying the sounds that they made as they walked. He was definitely spending too much time with Rikku. 

~*^-^*~

AN: I couldn't help it! I needed to add that in because it just sounds like something Rikku would obsess over XD Whooo, I feel better after letting all that 'squishing' and 'splating' go XD I felt a need to lighten the mood a lil'. 

::gasp:: Now what's Auron gonna do? It's like every time he's with Rikku he looses a piece of clothing! (ex: he lost his collar to help stop Rikku's bleeding, Rikku lost his sunglasses while trying to revive him, and he lost his coat because it was too heavy to wear wet.) At this rate, Rikku will have Auron naked by the end of the next chapter! ::catcalls:: XD Wow, too much sugar.

Review Please!

~Neoshipper~


	11. Chapter Eleven

AN: Whoo! Spring Break! ::parties:: I noticed a few things that readers had questions on. I don't have internet on this computer to log on and list names, so here goes:

To the person who asked about how Auron could be 'alive', I was actually a little caught up in writing and didn't realize that ^-^;; But, when I re-read that part, Rikku doesn't know that he's dead yet, so it kinda works ^-^

And to the person who asked why Rikku had to unbuckle his coat, I meant that strap in front of his coat that holds it closed. It's around his waist, I only know from looking at the Auron sculpture that guards my TV XD

Neoshipper is starting to get a little bit of writers' block @_@ Ack! Help me! I'm still looking for story ideas! Email me if you have any ideas! (tasukixmiaka@yahoo.com)

::puts on black top hat and pulls out baton:: Hurry hurry! Come one, come all, and watch as Rikku strips Auron naked!

Rikku: ::does Vanna White pose as she grabs for Aurons' tanktop::

Auron: -_-

That's right! Only $5 a ticket folks! (No far-plane residents were assaulted in the making of this strip-show) XD

~*^-^*~

            Rikku yawned as she trudged forward, her feet dragging across the sand. Squinting, she could see Auron a few feet ahead of her. They had been walking, aimlessly in Rikku's opinion, for a few hours at least. 

            The sun had started to set a little while ago, sinking behind the sand dunes they walked over. It was hard to see Auron now, without his coat he blended in against the darkening sky. 

            "Auron! Wait!" She stumbled forward, wincing as she stepped on another rock, as she tried to catch up to him. He stopped, and turned to watch her approach. 

            Rikku stopped, but not for another rock. She held her breath as she looked at Auron, his figure outlined by the setting sun. He was almost unreal. 

            "Rikku?"

            Shaking her head, she hurried to catch up with him. He waited patiently, then started off again when she was next to him, Muttering something about shoes, Rikku followed. 

~*^-^*~

            Lulu leaned down and brushed the hair out of Yunas' eyes. The summoner stirred, but didn't waken. Tidus glanced up at her wearily, eyes lidded and red, careful not to move his shoulder too much where Yuna was sleeping. 

            "I'm just checking on her." Lulu reassured him before moving to the other side of the small room they rented. Tidus nodded, glancing down at Yuna. She sniffled in her sleep and curled closer to him. He smiled sadly, wrapping an arm around her shoulders. 

            "Do you think….they're okay?" Tidus looked at Lulu, willing the sleep away from his eyes. She watched him silently, unsure of what to say. 

            "I don't know." She answered truthfully. Lulu had been startled when Rikku threw herself off the edge, and even more shocked when Auron dove after her. She unwillingly found herself thinking of Chappu, and frowned, glancing over at Wakka. He slept, an occasional snort of mumble sounding every so often. Lulu smiled softly, until she felt eyes locked on her. She turned back to see Tidus staring at her, grinning sleepily. 

            ""What?"

            "You like him, don't you?"

            "Him?"

            "Wakka." Tidus stifled a yawn as he watched Lulu's eyes widen slightly. She glared at him before turning away and closing her eyes, pretending to sleep. A few minutes later, his heavy breathing filled the room, leaving Lulu alone with her thoughts.

~*^-^*~

            "Auron, can we stop? I'm tired." Rikku whined as she trudged after the guardian. The sun had set an hour ago, and Rikku couldn't help but stumble on everything. The air had gotten cooler and slightly moist, which she was thankful for. 

            "We'll stop here for the night." Auron stopped in front of a pile of old driftwood. Rikku shivered and wrapped her arms around herself, hurrying to catch up to him. As soon as she came to a stop, she collapsed to her knees, for once grateful for the gritty sand scratching her skin. Auron wordlessly sat next to her, also grateful to stop walking. His back muscles ached and his neck was stiff. He tried unsuccessfully to inconspicuously crack his neck, but Rikku caught him.

            "Let me help." She crawled over to him and he stiffened when he felt her kneel behind him. He sucked in a breath when her hands smoothed over his skin for a second time that day, her small fingers working at the knot that kept him from turning his head. He forced down a groan when her hands began to kneed the tender flesh of his neck. 

            He was so wrapped up in the feel of her hands on his sore neck that he didn't even notice that she had stopped and had rested her chin on his shoulder. Only her warm breath against his skin brought it to his attention.          

            "Rikku?"

            "Thanks, Auron."

            "For what?" He tried to turn to look at her, but he couldn't move his head completely around, partly because his neck was still sore and she was there. 

            "You jumped after me, even though it was you who needed saving." She giggled and nuzzled his neck. He shivered as her lips brushed against him. He fought back the urge to say, 'I'm already dead.' If-When, he told Rikku, it wouldn't be like that. He nodded wordlessly. 

            "We should get some rest. We leave early."

            Rikku moaned before pulling away, and Auron missed the warmth she had provided so close to his body. He watched her stretch out on the sand, then curl into a ball. He wished he had his jacket to cover her up with, but she had stripped him of that and many other pieces of his clothing, a while ago. Sighing, he leaned against the pile of driftwood that someone before had must have dragged from the ocean, and closed his eyes. 

~*^-^*~

AN: Ack! Sorry it was so short and not too great! Gomen! Gomen! ^-^;; As I said, Neoshipper has a case of writers' block, a terrible, horrible disease that eats away at your brain until you sit there like an idiot drooling because all your ideas are gone! ….I'm okay, really. I'm finally going to get my permit tomorrow morning. I could have had it all the way back in November -_- dammit! XP

            Anyway, please please please give me suggestions! And review please!

~*Neoshipper*~


	12. Chapter Twelve

AN: I'm sorry! I couldn't think of anything else to strip Auron of in the last chapter ^-^;; Umm…he may not strip again for a while ^-^;; Unless he takes off one boot this chapter…hmmm….XD I know! It'll be up to you, the reviewers, but article of clothing Auron looses next! Here's a list of everything he already lost:

-Coat

-Glasses

-Collar

What he has left:

-black tank top

-pants

-boots and socks

-underwear (boxers of briefs? XD)

-his one glove…^-^;;

-sake jug and sword (though he wasn't really wearing them…..)

So, take a vote! Tho' if you go and say "underwear!" right away, we may have a problem ^-^;; So start with the small stuff, and if that works, we'll try this again for the next chappy ^-~

**NOTE: Some events will be skipped, such as Bevelle's temple. Well, just skipped in the sense that I won't be writing them, but they did go into the temple. The events after will change a bit though.**

Thanks to everyone for all the reviews and for the wonderful ideas! I'll keep them all in mind, (and I haven't forgotten that Rikku doesn't have her memory back yet, just need a good place to "give them back")

~*^-^*~

            "Where are we going?" Tidus whined as the group trudged through wet sand. It had taken them hours to solve Bevelle's temple puzzle, and everyone was tired and cranky. 

            "We're looking for Rikku and Sir Auron. I know they're okay, they have to be." Yuna prompted as she scanned the area before them for some sign of their lost companions. 

            "Khimari see something." He pointed to a lump in the distance. Yuna shook her head, eyes wide. 

            "Oh no, no, no." She stumbled through the sand, arms flailing as she tried to keep her balance. Tidus hurried after her, followed by Lulu, Wakka, and Khimari. Yuna collapsed next to a red pile, hands shaking as she picked up the red coat. 

            "That's…Auron's coat." Tidus mumbled before cursing and walking away. Yuna felt her eyes cloud over with tears. 

            "These are his glasses, ya?" Wakka asked, holding out a pair of small sunglasses covered with sand. Yuna nodded slowly. 

            "They didn't make it…." Yuna choked on a sob as she turned away, clutching Aurons' discarded coat to her chest, ignoring the water seeping into her own top. 

            "Yuna, we should move before someone finds us." Lulu said as she took the girls' arm and helped her up. She nodded numbly, but picked up the coat and glasses. 

            "I can't leave them here. What if they are alive? I mean, we haven't found their bodies yet, so that's a good thing, right?" She forced herself to smile and wiped away her tears. Tidus came up beside her  and solemnly placed a hand on her shoulder. She turned to look at him, and let a small smile fill her face. When in doubt, laugh out loud, had been one of her mottos. Suddenly, she didn't think it was a very good one. 

~*^-^*~

            "We should stop here." Auron said as he came to a halt in a small clearing. Rikku stopped, not really paying attention. These woods seemed awfully familiar. That's when it dawned on her. 

            "We're in the Macalania woods, aren't we?" She spun around, admiring the trees. It seemed different in the night. Auron nodded, not really listening to her ranting as he tried to start a camp fire. Normally, Lulu would start it with a simple fire spell. But Lulu wasn't here, now was she?

            "Ne, Auron, I'm gonna go look around, k?" Rikku pointed down a path. Auron nodded, mumbling something about firewood, before going back to the task at hand. Rikku shrugged and started off. 

            She had only walked a little way when she stopped on the bank of a lake. The water was a deep blue in color, shadowed by the night and the shielding trees above. 

            "Pretty." Rikku stopped at the edge and hastily pulled off her boots and socks. Her clothes were slightly wet from her fall the day before, and she could still feel the sand stuck to her skin. 

            "Ugh, gross!" She whined as she peeled off her tank top and the rest of her clothes and accessories. She shivered when the cool night air caressed her bare skin and quickly walked into the water. 

            "It's warm. Not cold at all." She marveled at the feel of the water. It was almost magical the way it brushed against her like velvet. She took a deep breath before diving under, trying to remove the grit and sand out of her hair. 

~*^-^*~

(AN: Just to remind you, they didn't kill Seymour way back in the beginning, so he's not a "robot")

            "M-Maester Seymour!?" Wakka exclaimed, backing up slightly. The Maester chuckled, clearly amused. 

            "I've been waiting for you. You've spoiled my wedding." He snapped his fingers and two Guado Guards appeared at his sides. Tidus cursed softly. 

            "Seymour, I hate you!" 

            Yuna received surprised gasps from everybody except Seymour and his guardians. Tidus hesitated before approaching her. If she knew he was there, she didn't show it. Her eyes were trained on the Guado before her, eyes filled with hatred, something none of them had seen from Yuna before. 

            "I'll never forgive you." She whispered before summoning Shiva. Seymour's eyes widened slightly. 

            "Y-Yuna, are you sure-" Lulu was silenced when the summoner raised a hand. She had clearly stated it, though she had not said a word. This was her battle. Her fight. Tidus couldn't help but shiver slightly at the gleam in her eyes. 

            "Just to let ya' know, Yuna. If you're in trouble, we're not holding back." Tidus had to make that one point clear. She nodded distractedly. 

            "Shiva! Blizzard!" 

            Seymour smirked, amused as his guardians set up a barrier around him. The battle had begun. And this time there was no holding back. 

~*^-^*~

            "Rikku?" 

            Auron frowned, muttering a string of curses. Where did that girl go? Didn't she say something about getting firewood? Or was that just him thinking to himself? Either way, the Al Bhed was no where to be found. 

            "When I find that girl the first thing I'm going to do is knock some sense-"

            A splash in the near distance caught his ear. Frowning, he turned towards where he thought her heard it and listened. Another splash followed. What could she be up to? He followed down a path where the splashes became more frequent and louder. He had just pushed back some bushes and stepped into a clearing when he froze. 

            Rikku was in the middle of the water, back facing him. He didn't know what startled him more, the fact that she was naked or that she was singing. He felt an unfamiliar heat rush into his face. Then he realized exactly what it was and almost choked. He was _blushing. Him. Blushing. _

            A shriek made him spin around back towards the lake, eyes alert for the intruder. It wasn't until he saw Rikku's eyes locked on him and her arms covering her chest that he realized _he_ was the intruder. He quickly spun around and could feel the heat in his face intensify. He let out a string of curses. 

            "W-What are you doing, spying on me!?" Rikku squeaked, voice more high pitched than usual. Auron couldn't think of a good excuse, so he decided to distract her.

            "That song you were singing, what was it?"

            "Song? Oh! It's an old Al Bhed lullaby my mother used to sing to me before she passed away." Rikku said before humming the tune again. Auron silently thanked God that she distracted easily. 

            "It sounds nice. You have a good voice." He tried to make the complement sound harsh and gruff to take away some of his embarrassment. Rikku didn't seem to notice. 

            "Thanks. I sing it sometimes when I'm afraid or sad." She sighed and he heard her moving around in the water. 

            "Don't look, I'm coming out." 

            Auron nodded and made sure he was turned completely away from the dressing girl. He heard some rustling fabric before she came over and tapped him on the shoulder. 

            "Okay. Do you wanna go back to camp now?" Her hair was still wet, her bangs sticking to her face. He realized, with a start, that her hair was down, and it was longer than he had expected. 

            "What? Is there something on my face?" Rikku noticed his stare and frantically began wiping at her cheeks. He shook his head and chuckled slightly. 

            "No, it's just…your hair is down." There was no use trying to hide it. He was just stating a fact, so why did he feel so odd?

            "Oh, that's just because I took it down to wash all the sand out. How does it look? Personally, I don't like it down." 

            "It looks…nice. You just always have it up." He motioned for her to follow him as they headed back towards camp. It had been a long day of traveling, but somehow they ended back in familiar territory. It was comforting. The walk back was relatively quiet, each enjoying the others' company. It wasn't until they were lying on makeshift beds of leaves and grass that Rikku spoke. 

            "I-I'm glad you're okay, Auron. I thought you were….dead….It scared me. It scared me a lot. I'm just really happy you're okay. I'm sorry, I'm babbling. Goodnight."

            Auron waited until her breathing slowed and became shallow before sighing. 

            "If only you knew the truth, Rikku."

~*^-^*~

AN: Ooooh, Auron was peeping! XD A little hyper today. Again, if you hand in your votes for what article of clothing Auron should loose next, I'll get to writing the next chapter. My goal is 100 reviews for this chapter (I mean all together ^-^;;) So that's about, what, 11 reviews?  Please? ::pouts:: ^-^

~Neoshipper~


	13. Chapter Thirteen

AN: ::throws confetti:: Waii waii! Over 100 (slightly ^-^;;) reviews! Arigatou!!! ^-^ Neoshipper est very happy ^-~ Hmm, about the stripping poll, a majority wanted him to loose his shirt, some his glove, and some his boots XD. I feel really really bad going against the majority, but as stated in one review, I should give Auron some sense of dignity, so he'll end up loosing one of the latter. 

            Don't worry though! Because I plan to have him loose his shirt at some point in time. The longer you wait the better it will be, ne? ^-^ And don't worry, I don't plan to have him loose all his clothing until he's only left walking around in boxers/briefs/thong (o.o). slowly he'll regain articles of clothing (at least some of them ^-^)

~*^-^*~

            Rikku shielded her eyes from the prodding sun as she wiped the sweat off her forehead. So these were the Calm Lands. 

            "It's very….calm." She stated before starting off down the hill that led to the vast plane. Auron just shook his head before following the Al Bhed. They had left the forest early that morning, traveling through a path that they didn't go through on their first trip. Rikku, as usual, had been in her normal chipper mood, chattering about this and that. Auron followed along in his normal mood. Silent. 

            "Ne, Auron, what's that?" Rikku's inquiring voice made him look towards the large yellow bird that headed towards them. Auron almost told her to stop goofing off, then stopped. No matter how "normal" (or as normal as Rikku can get) Rikku was acting now, she was still missing a large part of her memory. 

            "It's a Chocobo."

            "Chocobo?" Rikku said, trying the strangely familiar word on her tongue. Auron nodded and stopped beside her as the Chocobo and its' rider approached. 

            "Greetings. Would you like to ride a Chocobo? The Calm Lands stretch pretty far back and it can get tiring."

            "No thank you, we're not interes-"

            "Yes!" 

            The woman stared at them with a raised eyebrow, silently asking, 'which is it?' Auron sighed and nodded his head towards Rikku, indicating it was her choice. The woman nodded and held out her hand. Of course, Auron through grimly as he fished through his pants pocket, everything had a fee. 

            He pulled out two coins and placed them in the palm of her hand before the woman whistled and a Chocobo appeared. 

            "If you need riding lessons, you can find me somewhere on these fields. Enjoy your ride!" Then the woman was gone, her Chocobo racing away. Auron sighed as he held the birds' reign. 

            "Hop on." Auron instructed. Rikku nodded before attempting to swing her leg over the birds' back. Instead, she ended up in a heap in Auron's arms. 

            "Sorry." She giggled and straightened before attempting to mount the Chocobo again. This time, with a little push from Auron, she was able to get on. The Chocobo clucked happily. 

            "Auron, what about you?" She asked as she glanced down at the man. He shook his head. He never really liked Chocobos. 

            "I only had enough for one. You can ride. We should head towards that Inn over there and check our supplies. We're running a little low on potions."

            "Okay!" Rikku grinned before gently kicking the bird in the side. It squawked, clearly upset by the motion, before taking off at an alarmingly fast pace. Rikku screeched and clung to the birds' neck. Auron sighed and shook his head before slowly following after. 

~*^-^*~

            "Man, what a rush!" 

            Rikku hopped off the bird and ran a hand through her unruly hair. Auron could be seen in the distance, slowly approaching. Rikku tapped her foot impatiently. Why were men so slow? 

            "C'mon!" She whined. Auron didn't quicken his pace, but continued to take long even strides.  Rikku sighed, exasperated. 

            Finally, after what seemed like forever, Auron approached her, looking slightly amused that she was pacing. 

            "Let's go." She huffed before pulling him into the store. A cool breeze met them at the door, opposite of the heavy warm air outside. It felt good to be out of the heat, Auron thought. Black attracted heat, even more so than his heavy coat that he was beginning to miss. 

            "Rikku!" A young man with goggles on his head approached the Al Bhed girl. Rikku cocked her head to the side and frowned, puzzled. 

            "Do I know you?"

            "R-Rikku? It's me! Blappa!" The man had a heavy accent that sounded roughly familiar to Rikku. She knew he was Al Bhed, anyone could see that. But where did she know him from. 

            Suddenly, a violent image ripped Rikku away from her body. She gasped as she floated above what looked like a large ship.

            "An Al Bhed ship!" She exclaimed, studying the familiar interior. A young man with dirty blonde hair was curled up on the deck, head resting on his knees. Rikku's eyes widened in recognition. 

            "Tidus! Tidus, up here!" She waved her arms above her head and frowned when he didn't acknowledge her. Where was she anyway. A door to the side opened and a young girl stepped out, decked out in a skin tight body suit and goggles. 

            "T-That's me! What am I wearing!?" Rikku eyed the outfit in obvious distaste. She watched herself approach Tidus and say something she couldn't hear. Time flew as Rikku watched herself interact with Tidus, and before she knew it, the ship lurched to the side. She gasped when a large wave came on deck and swept away Tidus. 

            "Tidus!" She reached out for him, already knowing she couldn't help. The Rikku below her did the same, but a pair of arms held her firmly to the deck. Her eyes widened. 

            "Rikku! Rikku, wake up!" 

            A pair of hands on her shoulders made Rikku snap back into reality. The whole room spun for a second before everything settled calmly into place. She blinked, looking at Auron, who was looking into her eyes, worried. The man behind him caught her attention and she pulled away. 

            "Blappa, you were there when Sin almost took us under, weren't you?" She stared at him, certain that this was the same guy. He nodded slowly, a small smile on his lips. 

            "Yea. Is that really all you remember of me? Has it been that long?"

            Rikku bit her lip and looked to Auron for help. He nodded and stepped up beside her. 

            "She lost her memory when she hit her head on a rock. She's slowly gaining them back."           

            Blappa seemed to consider this before nodding, a sad look in his eyes. Auron felt a touch of jealousy when Rikku hugged the Al Bhed. 

            "Daijoubu, I'm sure I'll remember everything someday!" She hid the sadness in her eyes behind a smile. Auron frowned but said nothing as Blappa said his good-byes and left the inn. Rikku watched him go wistfully before going back to Auron's side. 

            "Let's get a room, ne?" She forced herself to sound cheery, and Auron could tell. He nodded and went to the front desk, where he requested a room for the night. Wordlessly, Rikku followed after him to a wooden door on the right. Upon opening it, he found that there was only one bed. Half of him felt dread while the other half had a strange pleasant feeling at the thought of sharing with Rikku. He quickly shook the thought away. Now was not the time for that. He noticed Rikku was being awfully quiet sitting on the edge of the bed. He sat next to her. 

            "Is anything wrong?" 

            "Iie. Nothing, just thinking." She smiled, and it seemed to him that maybe she was just thinking. Maybe she wasn't upset after all. He was about to say something else when an annoying itch came from under his glove. Frowning, he pulled it off and rubbed at the irritated skin. Why he had bothered to keep it on after loosing his coat was a mystery even to him. 

            "Ne, look, Auron." Rikku giggled, sounding like her old self again. Auron offered a rough smile as she slipped his glove onto her hand. It was way too large to accommodate her small wrist, and dangled recklessly from her arm.  

            "Here, it will fit better if you fix the straps." 

            Auron leaned in and gently took her arm in his. Rikku held her breath as he pulled the straps tighter until the structure was snug against her arm. 

            "There, that's-" Auron looked up and froze as his nose brushed against Rikku's. When had she gotten so close? Her warm breath blew against the stubble on his cheek. Slowly, as if someone else had possessed his body, Auron leaned in and let his lips brush against hers'. Rikku stifled a gasp and stiffened, before allowing herself to relax and respond. Auron's rugged facial hair brushed against her soft cheek, causing her to snap back into reality. 

            Rikku pulled back, eyes wide. What had just happened? Auron watched her calmly, lips drawn in a line. Rikku offered a wobbly smile before jumping up off the bed. 

            "I-I'm going to take a walk now, kay?" And then she was gone. Auron waited until he couldn't hear her retreating footsteps down the hall before dropping his head in his hands. What had he done?

~*^-^*~

AN: That's it! That kiss makes up for Auron only loosing a glove and skimping on the details! XD I figured it was about time that there was a small kiss ^-~ Don't worry, they're not gonna get all hot and heavy all of a sudden. Not yet at least XD. I hope everyone enjoyed this chappy! I'm finally sorta out of my writers' block ^-^ 

            Please review!

~Neoshipper~


	14. Chapter Fourteen

AN: Ahh, gomen for the lack of recent updates! ^-^;; Got a little tied up in my Inuyasha story ^-^ Which is why I'm offering everyone a word of advice: Don't start more than one story at a time! ^-^;;

Arigatou for all the reviews! Glad Auron and Rikku were both in character. So, here's the next chappy!

Neoshipper also realized she made a terrible mistake! Rikku had been wearing the ripped white wedding dress since her escape from Maester Seymour. But in chapter 12, when she's stripping to get into the lake, she has back on her original outfit ^-^;; So for right now, until I can find time to fix it, we'll just pretend Rikku had a change of clothes (exactly the same as her original ^-^;;) Gomen! Careless mistake!

~*^-^*~

            Rikku brushed past a couple in the store lobby, ignoring their angry glares. Her face flushed, Rikku walked outside, eager to get away from the hostile inside environment.

            "W-what was that?" She muttered, pressing a hand to her lips. It had been a chaste kiss, a mere brush of the lips, and yet it sent shivers down Rikku's spine. It was getting late, she realized when she couldn't feel the sun on her back anymore. The sky was a dusty shade or blue, pink and purple mixed together where the sun was slowly creeping behind the hills. 

            Sighing, she stopped, somewhere in the middle of the Calm Lands and took in the view. She saw a Chocobo rider in the distance, herding the last few people in for the night. She shivered and wrapped her arms around herself and only then realized the goosebumps. 

            'I wonder what Auron was thinking when he kissed me. Were we more than friends before the accident?' She frowned as she rubbed at the bumps on her arms. The sun was gone now, the sky a deep blue only lit by the stars peppering the sky. A brief glance around told her she was the only one left for the night and that she ought to head in. Her feet seemed suddenly heavy at the thought of confronting Auron. But then again, there were fiends out here, and she didn't have many weapons on her. Save for a few grenades and Auron's glove, which didn't really count as a weapon. 

            "Auron….Fiends….Auron…..Fiends….." She held her palms out, weighing the severity of the situation. She didn't know what to say to Auron. But she'd rather be safe and warm than with some fiend. Shuddering at the thoughts of what might be out there, Rikku hurried back to the inn. 

~*^-^*~

            "Argh!" 

            Rikku walked away from the closed door of the room she and Auron were sharing for the umpteenth time. She had come in about a half hour ago, but still couldn't bring herself to enter the room. She took one last deep breath before biting her lip and opening the door a crack. 

            "Auron, I-"

            The words died in her mouth as she stared, eyes wide, at Auron, who was currently stripping out of his shirt. The black tank top fell to a discarded lump on the floor as he stretched, muscles flexing lazily. Rikku's mouth went dry as she watched him, walking around unguarded without a shirt. She heard him mumble something before he turned towards the door; And came face to face with Rikku.

            He blinked, eyeing her, unsure of how to react. She giggled nervously and pushed the door open all the way, a blush staining her cheeks. 

            "I just came back from my walk now, I wasn't…spying on you or anything!" She laughed, trying to elicit some form of reaction from the stoic man. Finally, after seemingly silently contemplating, he shrugged. 

            "I didn't say you were." 

            "Oh, right." She scuffed her foot on the ground, avoiding any eye contact. She heard some shuffling before she realized, disappointedly, that he was picking up his shirt. Instead of putting it on though, he hung it over the back of a chair seated in a corner. 

            "H-here, you can have this back now." She mumbled, realizing the arm guard was still on her arm. She went to un-strap it but he put a hand on hers', causing her to freeze. 

            "It's all right, you can keep it."

            "H-honto?" She squeaked, bashful. He nodded absently before sitting down on one side of the bed. Rikku blanched. There was only one bed. It had looked large when they had first arrived,  but now…It was looking mighty cramped. 

            "What?" Auron asked, noticing her wide-eyed stare at the bed. Quickly shaking out of her thoughts, she shook her head. 

            "N-nothing! I think I'll go to bed…In the same bed as you….On the other side….I don't roll over, I'll stay on my side…." Rikku babbled nervously while she sat on her side of the bed and pulled off her shoes. Auron watched, amused, as she continued to ramble on. 

            "So I'm going to bed now! On my side!" She was shouting now, she was so nervous. Auron let a soft chuckle escape his lips. 

            "What?" She asked, suddenly defensive. He shook his head, opting to say nothing, as he laid back, hands behind his head. Rikku gulped before slowly doing the same, remaining as tense as she could. This was going to be a long night.

~*^-^*~

AN: If it wasn't so un-Auron like, I'd have made a Rikku x Auron sappy moment ^-^;; If I can think of a way that isn't too OOC, I will write it ^-^ Well, as many readers wanted, Auron lost his shirt, if only for the night ^-~ 

Review please!

~Neoshipper~


	15. Chapter Fifteen

AN: Gomen! I haven't had a chance to update XP I'm going back to Vermont (again, like I do every summer) on Saturday, so I'm gonna try and see if I can squeeze one more update in after this. Though it won't be likely ^-^;; I'll be gone for a week. But I will have updates when I get back!

Someone asked why Auron said, "Argh!" I'm sorry, that was Rikku ^-^;; I made it a little unclear. Gomen!

Please excuse any grammatical errors, I haven't really had time to proofread ^-^;; 

~*^-^*~

Rikku mumbled in her sleep and snuggled closer to her blanket. She pulled an arm over her until it was draped across her waist. Satisfied, she listened to the steady beating of a heart. Wait a minute. An arm? A heart?

Rikku gulped and opened her eyes, peering up into Auron's amused eye. It was then she realized she was not under a blanket. Oh no. In fact, the blanket was under her. Glancing fearfully down to her hips, she saw the arm she had dragged on top of her. 

"Comfortable?" Auron's voice made her shudder, even though she could hear the faint trace of amusement. Without a second thought, Rikku bolted up, scrambling to get out of bed. To her utter most shock and pleasure, Auron grabbed her wrist. She froze, unsure of what to do. Unable to even possibly comprehend what was happening. 

"G-gomen. I didn't mean to fall asleep with-I mean on you! No! Wait! I mean…" Rikku trailed off, hopelessly flustered. Auron watched her babble, a small smirk on his face. Did she always make those cute faces when confused? 

"It's all right." He found himself saying gruffly. Stretching his arms above his head, he pretended not to notice Rikku's eyes on him. As he swung his legs over the side of the bed, he heard her sharp intake of air. 

"Is there a problem?" 

"P-problem!?" Rikku's voice was raised a few notches to an almost unbearable squeak. Auron raised an eyebrow. 

"Nope! No problem here!" Rikku laughed nervously and averted her eyes. Auron, feeling very unlike himself, leaned across the bed to where Rikku was sitting and brushed a hand across her arm. She tensed, hesitating before turning around. 

"You look a little…flushed." With that said, he gently brushed back her bangs and placed a hand on her forehead. Startled, Rikku gaped at him. His hand was cold, she noted absently, staring at his face. She closed her eyes as his hand traced gently down her face to cup her cheek. Auron felt a slight pressure on his hand and was a little surprised to find Rikku's hand on his. Slowly, her fingers entwined with his. Glancing back at her face, he noted the flaming red color of her face. 

"A-Auron?" She called to him hesitantly. He shook his head to clear his thoughts when he heard her voice. 

"What is it?"

"Were we…That is…Did we…Were we ever _more_ than friends?" 

Auron blinked. What had ever given him the idea that…Oh. He glanced down at their hands, as if he hadn't noticed them before. And when had they gotten so close? Last he remembered, he was sitting on the other side of the bed, ready to leave. And where was his shirt? Oh wait, he had taken that off last night to please the reviewers. (AN: ^-^)

Auron pulled back mutely, and Rikku mourned the sudden loss of his touch. He turned his back to her and grabbed his discarded shirt from the floor. What was he _doing_? What was he _thinking_? How could he let himself lose control like that? And with Rikku? There was nothing wrong with her, granted sometimes she opened her mouth at the wrong time, but she was young. She had her whole life ahead of her. He didn't even have a life. Hell, he wasn't even _alive_! As soon as they rejoined with Yuna, they would be back on the trail for Sin. And after that…After that…

"Auron?" 

A timid voice calling out to him made him glance over his shoulder. Rikku sat looking back at him, eyes large, confused, and embarrassed. Cursing under his breath, he pulled on his shirt. 

"No, we weren't. And we won't ever be." He scowled. The words sounded harsh, even to him. He sneaked a glance at her as he pulled on his boots. Her bottom lip and chin trembled under the effort to hold back tears. Her eyes, for a brief moment looked full of heartbreak and ever-present confusion. Feeling the heavy weight of his stare, she turned her head and masked the pain in her eyes behind a look that said she couldn't care less. 

"I'm sorry I snapped at you." Auron muttered, feeling guilty for practically yelling at her. She looked surprised, but quickly shrugged, eyes empty. 

"What's there to be sorry about. C'mon, let's get going. I want to meet up with everyone. They're probably worried." With that she stood and strode out the door. He winced when she slammed it behind her. 

"Why do I care so much?" Rikku muttered, back pressed against the door. She ran a hand past her eyes, surprised to find them moist with tears. Shaking her head, she walked into the lobby of the inn to wait for her traveling companion. 

~*^-^*~

Yuna struggled a couple steps forward before collapsing to the ground, her staff falling with her. Tidus, who was closest, rushed to help her. 

"Yuna! You shouldn't push yourself so much!" He took her arm and helped her to her feet. She stumbled, almost punch-drunkenly, and Tidus had to wrap an arm around her waist to hold her up. 

"A-arigatou." She mumbled, shaking off another wave of dizziness. They had managed to defeat Seymour, but just barely. Although they all had time to recover, it was obvious Yuna didn't. She should have felt happy. She should have felt renewed. But she didn't Seymour's defeat had made her feel temporarily invincible. She had been elated, and proud that she alone delivered the final blow. Not her friends or her aeons, but her. And she had enjoyed the look of astonishment and anger on Seymour's face before he faded into pyerflies. 

Despite the bitter-sweet victory, Yuna had a gut feeling that it wasn't all over. They would meet again. And that knowledge made her sick. While the others slept she stayed awake, fear and anxiousness eating away at her. During meals she couldn't force herself to eat, and she was the one urging the group forward even when her body protested. She was neglecting her body, and she knew it very well. But she couldn't rest. Not until they found Sir Auron and Rikku.

"Daijoubu. Hurry, we need to keep going and-"

"That's quite enough. There's an inn not far from here. We can rest there." Lulu stepped forward and placed a restraining hand on Yuna's arm. Yuna opened her mouth to protest, but both Wakka and Tidus had fixed her with stern looks. 

"Yuna needs rest. Khimari knows." The large blue Ronso said, easily scooping Yuna into his arms. She protested feebly, but could already feel her traitorous eyes closing. 

"We need…Rikku…Sir Auron…"

"Rest. We'll find them. They're strong, ya?" Wakka playfully messed up her hair. She smiled sleepily, and unhappily forced herself to sleep. 

"She hasn't been sleeping or eating. This is really getting to her." Lulu pointed out as she shifted the bundle of clothes that Yuna insisted they should pick up for when they found their friends. Tidus nodded, casting a worried glance towards the unconscious summoner. 

"The sooner we get to the inn, the better." 

~*^-^*~

Rikku kicked a stone from her seat on the inn fence. What was taking Auron so long? Sighing, she scanned the Calm Lands, looking for anything of interest. She saw something moving forward and squinted. It wasn't something, it was someone! No! There was more than one!

Hope fluttered in her chest as Rikku sprang off the fence and raced closer, closing the gap between her and the people before her. If she could just get a little closer, she would be able to tell who…

"Rikku!" 

"Y-Yunie?" Rikku gasped as she saw the summoner in Khimari's arms. The brunette waved happily, relief clearly written all over her face. Rikku laughed and ran towards them. 

"Rikku?" Auron asked as he came out of the inn. Either she didn't hear him or she paid him no mind and kept running. When he saw exactly who she was running to, he felt a great sense of relief and at the same time disappointment and…regret? Relief because they were okay. Disappointment because he and Rikku wouldn't be alone anymore. Regret because they were one step closer to defeating Sin. One step closer until Rikku would know the truth. 

~*^-^*~

AN/Glossary:

Arigatou: Thanks/Thank you

Daijoubu: Are you okay?/I'm okay.

Gomen: Sorry

Whoo…drama filled chapter. I realized Yuna and co. haven't really been present in the last couple chapters ^-^;; oops! I tried to add a little Auron x Rikku waff, and I think I managed to stay pretty much in character. What do you think? Hopefully soon I can actually write it so that they're together ^-~ Just need to get it in character. Anyone with some ideas to the big "Auron x Rikku waffy hookup", please enlighten me! XD

I'm surprised I was able to write this while listening to a David Bowie CD o.o I had to refrain from singing along XD Anyway, that's not the point! Sorry Auron didn't lose any clothes ^-^;; I was deeply disappointed too. But he pointed out in our contract that he signed against walking around in less than pants and boots XD

Review Please!

~Neoshipper~


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